The mark had to make his mea culpa onlineAnd pass in addition to potential Union blockadesIndeed the French more 50 years to is wrongCareer opportunitiesThere is a general trendThe new circumstances could change its mindIf that is really your way do not not soThe last meeting took place yesterday eveningBernard Kouchner Adviser on strategic and multilateral affairsExpect to see clearer said a banker of placeWe deem on exhibit hammer unions in choirAnd again the TVA. Yesterday at the Midem, its traditional press conference, the national Union of phonographic Edition (SNEP), which includes primarily the four majors of the disc (Universal Music, Sony BMG, EMI and Warner Music) has renewed his request to obtain a reduction of VAT on music: on the "physical" sales (CD and DVD) and digital (Internet and mobile telephony). With VAT at 19.6 on the disk, the music industry are victims of discrimination, since the book is, him, of a rate reduced to 5.5. If an alignment on the book labels would like to finally obtain a VAT reduced rate", 10 or 12, for example...
This motion is not new: in 2003 - 2004 already, following a promise made in 2002 by Jacques Chirac, the France had attempted, without success, to obtain a reduction of the VAT, stumbling on the hostility of the countries of Northern Europe, such as the Germany or the Denmark. This is very difficult to obtain, since it requires the unanimity of the 27 countries of the European Union. But the France has a card to play this year: it takes the EU Presidency from July 1 and has well put this topic on the menu of discussions. Sunday in Cannes, Christine Albanel, Minister of Culture and Communication, also expressed "fairly optimistic". The industry hopes at least a rebate of VAT on sales in digital format, if get down on the disk. "It is an approach on online sales that could reopen the debate on the physical," estimated Hervé Rony, CEO of the SNEP. Of course, producers have pledged to affect the sale price the VAT decrease.
This application is not the only one of the industry. In addition to the desire to see quickly implemented measures anti-piracy mission Olivennes Christine Albanel has promised legislation before the summer, producers appreciate the request submitted by the France for an extension of the "neighbouring rights".
Extension of the "neighbouring rights".
Currently, the rights of artists and producers fall into the public domain fifty years after the recording. Therefore, the time to press for the producers. After the first songs of Dalida in 2007, other works will gradually lose their protection: the songs of Sacha Distel in 2008, Barbara, Serge Gainsbourg and Jean Ferrat in 2009, or even Yvette Horner in 2010... 1,800 records are concerned this year; 50,000 will be in the next two decades.
According to studies put forward by the SNEP, an extension to 95 years in neighbouring rights would increase from 3 to 10 revenues from music recorded in Europe. An oxygen ball. Because the market has still declined in 2007 (see chart). Digital sales growth remains strong ( 16.6) but does not compensate for, both to be sure, the decline of the CD. The single market has almost disappeared from circulation (its value was divided by 7 in five years, to fall to 19 million) and sales still fell by 18. Certainly, the end of the year was better, with a quasi-stabilisation of volumes for retail sales. What makes say to Pascal Nègre, President of Universal Music France, "it is still winter, but we feel that spring arrives". However, at Midem, the music professionals annual meeting, the crisis of the disc is now part of the landscape.
