“Pay 33.5 million euro to Stichting Thuiskopie after settlement”

The Dutch State and Stichting de Thuiskopie have their legal battle relating to the amount of the remunerations for private copying in the period 2007-2012 discontinued. For the freezing of the thuiskopieregeling in 2007 the State a fee of 33.5 million euros to pay.

Stichting de Thuiskopie made the agreement public via its website. According to the organisation is the lawsuit with the State is appropriate and results in a payment of 33.5 million euro to Stichting de Thuiskopie. Who will use the money to authors and copyright owners to compensate. Reason for the complaint was the freezing of the thuiskopieregeling by the government in 2007. Therefore, according to the foundation does not have enough money with the thuiskopieheffing. The legal procedure was already in since 2009.

Earlier, it was the Dutch State, all with Norma, the foundation for management of neighbouring rights, agree to a settlement amount of 10 million euros to pay for it. The government decided in 2007 the thuiskopieregeling does not extend to devices, such as mp3 players, and the levy on blank cd’s and dvd’s not to increase. Reason for this were problems with the accountability and distribution of the money collected by Stichting de Thuiskopie. The High Council decided, however, that this freeze was illegal.

In 2013, the remuneration system was revised, which now also devices such as mp3 players, mobile phones, laptops and hardeschijfrecorders under the scheme. According to the indictment, the government therefore in the period before that, these devices are not too taxing, too little money with the thuiskopieregeling. In 2015 the plan is revised again, partly because the European Court of justice ruled that the Netherlands is a downloadverbod must be set.