Munich (dpa/lby) - Voluntary organizations such as sports clubs will no longer have to pay Gema fees for music events they organize in Bavaria. The prerequisite is that the event is offered to visitors without an admission fee. The Bavarian state government made a corresponding decision on Tuesday. The Free State takes over the fees to the musicians' rights exploitation company, said State Chancellery boss Florian Herrmann (CSU) in Munich.
The regulation should apply from April 1st. As a result, Herrmann expects the state to spend 1.4 million euros this year. In the following years, 1.5 million euros would accrue. This year alone, the new regulation means that 47,000 music events will be provided free of charge for volunteers, said Eva Gottstein, the volunteer commissioner for the Free Voters in the state parliament.
