SUISA members demand recognition in the digital world
In the Membership Manifesto issued at today’s General Meeting, SUISA members demand recognition of their rights, especially in the digital sphere. SUISA is the Swiss Cooperative Society for Authors and Publishers of Music: in the 2011 financial year, it distributed CHF 9 out of every CHF 10 (88,05%) collected in revenues to its members. Administration costs totalled 11.95%. Three new members were elected to the Board: Irene Kunzelmann, Christian Siegenthaler and Christian Wicky.
At SUISA’s General Meeting on 23 June 2012 in Bern, the cooperative society issued a ”Membership Manifesto“. In this declaration of principles, SUISA members demand that the value of their work be recognised, especially in the digital sphere. Following its publication today, sig-natures will continue to be collected for the Manifesto at www.suisa.ch/suisamanifesto. In a nutshell, the signatories of the Cooperative Society for Authors and Publishers of Music declare that:
- SUISA is a cooperative society and works for authors and publishers;
- SUISA’s members are entitled to decide if and how their works can be used, even in the digital world;
- right-holders are entitled to remuneration for the use of their works, and must receive a share of the revenues generated from the use of their works by third parties;
- authors and publishers demand a legal framework capable of protecting their work against piracy, theft or unauthorised usage.
The need to join forces in order to defend mutual interests was one of the main themes of the General Meeting and was presented by Géraldine Savary, member of the Council of States and of SUISA’s Board. Various federations and associations sent representatives or organised information stands, including: suisseculture, the Swiss Music Council, the Swiss Alliance against Internet Piracy, Verein Musikschaffende Schweiz and the Fondation romande pour la Chanson et les Musiques Actuelles (FCMA).
CHF 9 in every CHF 10 of revenue distributed
In the 2011 financial year, SUISA collected tariff revenues totalling CHF 136.2mn, of which it distrib-uted 88,05%, or CHF 119.9mn, to authors and publishers. Total turnover for the year reached CHF 145.2mn (+2% compared with the prior year). Income from performance and broadcasting rights reached CHF 103.4mn in 2011, exceeding the CHF 100mn mark for the first time. These record re-sults are mainly due to concerts, which had a strong year thanks to a number of large-scale events. Income from record licensing declined 12.2% in the reporting year, however, and the levy on media carriers such as CDs, DVDs and MP3 players fell by as much as 33.2%. Administration costs were nonetheless contained at 11.95% on average.
Election of three new Board members
In the elections held to replace the outgoing Board members, Irene Kunzelmann, producer and pub-lisher Christian Siegenthaler and musician and composer Christian Wicky were elected to the Board. The resigning members were Beat Lüthi, Jean-Pierre Mathez and Thierry Mauley-Fervant.
Link to the 2011 Annual Report
Link to the Membership Manifesto
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Presidentt Xavier Dayer signs the SUISA
membership manifesto.
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Monika Kaelin, board member, signs the SUISA
membership manifesto