[Dixielandjazz] royalties

[Jim Kashishian]

In Spain, both the Author's Society & the Performing Rights group are
official organizations, not privately set up groups.  I suspect it is that
way all over Europe.  A fee is charged when joining (about $30 Euros), you
prepare a list of compositions, or recordings you have performed on....then,
there is no more to do, other than pay personal taxes on the bit that might
eventually arrive in your bank account from royalties paid.  The
organizations track down the use of music, and pay you your bit.  They take
a healthy amount for the service. 
 
Yes, there is contention, in that gobs of money is deducted to cover costs.
Yes, clubs, theaters, etc., all pay a fee for playing recorded music or for
having live music (not enough to make them stop doing so).  Yes,  a certain
tax is levied on recordable material (tapes, blank CD's, etc.).  There is no
strong arm stuff going on.  It may not be so now, but it used to be that the
publishing company would get 50% of a song, the composer getting the other
50%.  That is why big name bands/people will have their own publishing
company.  Lots of tricks, if your royalties warrant getting into it.  Mine
aren't.
 
So far, on DJML, wev'e only heard from one side.  Is there no one with any
knowledge of the other side of the argument?
 
Jim