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Act on the Management of Copyright and Related Rights by Collecting Societies*
(Verwertungsgesellschaftengesetz – VGG)

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Übersetzung durch Ute Reusch

Translation provided by Ute Reusch

Stand: Die Übersetzung berücksichtigt die Änderung(en) des Gesetzes durch Artikel 2 des Gesetzes vom 31. Mai 2021 (BGBl. I S. 1204)
Der Stand der deutschsprachigen Dokumentation kann aktueller sein. Vergleichen Sie dazu bitte http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vgg/BJNR119010016.html.

Version information: The translation includes the amendment(s) to the Act by Article 2 of the Act of 31 May 2021 (Federal Law Gazette I, p. 1204)
Translations may not be updated at the same time as the German legal provisions displayed on this website. To compare with the current status of the German version, see http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/vgg/BJNR119010016.html.

Zur Nutzung dieser Übersetzung lesen Sie bitte den Hinweis unter "Translations".

For conditions governing use of this translation, please see the information provided under "Translations".

           
Part 1
Subject matter; definitions
Section 1Scope
Section 2Collecting society
Section 3Dependent management entity
Section 4Independent management entity
Section 5Rightholder
Section 6Entitled person
Section 7Members
Section 7aExternal rightholder
Section 8User
Part 2
Rights and obligations of collecting societies
Division 1
Internal relationship
Subdivision 1
Rightholders, entitled persons and members
Section 9Obligation to manage
Section 10Consent to management
Section 11Non-commercial uses
Section 12Termination of management; withdrawal of rights
Section 13Membership terms
Section 14Electronic communication
Section 15Record of members and entitled persons
Section 16Principle of participation
Section 17General powers of general assembly of members
Section 18Powers of general assembly of members in regard to bodies
Section 19Conduct of general assembly of members; proxy
Section 20Participation of entitled persons who are not members
Subdivision 2
Management and supervision
Section 21Management
Section 22Supervisory body
Subdivision 3
Rights revenue
Section 23Collection, management and distribution of rights revenue
Section 24Separate accounts
Section 25Investment of rights revenue
Section 26Use of rights revenue
Section 27Distribution plan
Section 27aRevenue from author’s statutory remuneration rights
Section 27bAuthor’s minimum participation
Section 28Time limit for distribution
Section 29Identification of entitled persons
Section 30Non-distributable rights revenue
Section 31Deductions from rights revenue
Section 32Cultural promotion; welfare and assistance schemes
Subdivision 4
Complaints procedures
Section 33Complaints procedures
Division 2
External relationship
Subdivision 1
Agreements and tariffs
Section 34Obligation to contract
Section 35Inclusive contracts
Section 36Negotiations
Section 37Deposit; conditional payment
Section 38Obligation to set tariffs
Section 39Setting of tariffs
Section 40Setting of tariffs for appliances and storage media
Subdivision 2
Duties of notification
Section 41Users’ duty to provide information
Section 42Users’ duty to report
Section 43Electronic communication
Division 3
Special provisions on management of rights under representation agreements
Section 44Representation agreement; prohibition of discrimination
Section 45Deductions
Section 46Distribution
Section 47Information requirements
Division 4
Presumptions; external rightholders in respect of retransmission and direct injection
Section 48Presumption in respect of rights to information
Section 49Presumption in respect of statutory remuneration rights
Section 50External rightholders in respect of retransmission and direct injection
Division 5
Collective licensing with extended effect
Section 51Collective licensing with extended effect
Section 51aEffectiveness of grant of rights and ongoing provision of information
Section 51bRepresentativity of collecting society
Section 52Collective licensing with extended effect in relation to unavailable works
Section 52aEffectiveness of grant of rights and ongoing provision of information in relation to unavailable works
Section 52bUnavailable works
Section 52cRepresentativity of collecting society in case of sets of works from third countries
Section 52dAuthorisation to issue statutory instruments
Section 52eApplication to related rights
Division 6
Information requirements; accounting and transparency report
Subdivision 1
Information requirements
Section 53Provision of information to rightholders prior to consent to management
Section 54Provision of information to entitled persons
Section 55Information regarding works and other subject matter
Section 56Disclosure of information to public
Subdivision 2
Accounting and transparency report
Section 57Financial statements and management report
Section 58Annual transparency report
Part 3
Special provisions on multi-territorial licensing of online rights in musical works
Section 59Scope
Section 60Non-applicable provisions
Section 61Special requirements of collecting societies
Section 62Information on musical works and online rights
Section 63Correction of information
Section 64Submission of information by electronic means
Section 65Monitoring of uses
Section 66Reporting of use by electronic means
Section 67Invoicing of online service providers
Section 68Distribution of rights revenue; information
Section 69Obligation to represent
Section 70Provision of information by mandating collecting society
Section 71Provision of information to members and entitled persons in case of representation
Section 72Access to multi-territorial licensing of online rights in musical works
Section 73Management in case of representation
Section 74Derogation for radio and television programmes
Part 4
Supervision
Section 75Supervisory authority
Section 76Scope of supervision
Section 77Authorisation
Section 78Application for authorisation
Section 79Refusal of authorisation
Section 80Revocation of authorisation
Section 81Cooperation on grant and revocation of authorisation
Section 82Notification
Section 83Public notice
Section 84Management activity without authorisation or notification
Section 85Powers of supervisory authority
Section 86Powers of supervisory authority in case of collecting societies established in another Member State of European Union or another Contracting Party of Agreement on European Economic Area
Section 87Exchange of information with supervisory authorities in other Member States of European Union or other Contracting Parties of Agreement on European Economic Area
Section 88Obligation of collecting societies to provide information
Section 89Applicable procedural law
Section 90Supervision of dependent management entities
Section 91Supervision of independent management entities
Part 5
Arbitration Board and assertion of claims in court
Division 1
Arbitration Board
Subdivision 1
General procedural provisions
Section 92Jurisdiction regarding disputes under Copyright Act and regarding inclusive contracts
Section 93Jurisdiction regarding empirical studies
Section 94Jurisdiction regarding disputes regarding multi-territorial licensing of online rights in musical works
Section 95General procedural rules
Section 96Calculation of time limits
Section 97Application to institute proceedings
Section 98Withdrawal of application
Section 99Written procedure and hearing
Section 100Procedure in event of hearing
Section 101Failure to appear
Section 102Amicable dispute resolution; settlement
Section 103Suspension of proceedings
Section 104Clarification of facts
Section 105Settlement proposal by Arbitration Board; objection
Subdivision 2
Special procedural provisions
Section 106Provisional settlement
Section 107Payment of security
Section 108Damages
Section 109Limitation of settlement proposal; dispensing with settlement proposal
Section 110Disputes concerning inclusive contracts
Section 111Disputes concerning rights to cable retransmission
Section 112Empirical survey in respect of appliances and storage media
Section 113Conduct of empirical survey
Section 114Result of empirical survey
Section 115Utilisation of results of survey
Section 116Participation of consumer associations
Subdivision 3
Costs; compensation and remuneration of third parties
Section 117Costs of proceedings
Section 118Due date and advance
Section 119Application mutatis mutandis of Court Fees Act
Section 120Decision on objections
Section 121Decision on obligation to pay costs
Section 122Assessment of costs
Section 123Compensation of witnesses and remuneration of experts
Subdivision 4
Organisational structure of and taking of decisions by Arbitration Board
Section 124Structure and composition of Arbitration Board
Section 125Supervision
Section 126Taking of decisions
Section 127Exclusion of and objection to members of Arbitration Board
Division 2
Assertion of claims in court
Section 128Assertion of claims in court
Section 129Jurisdiction of higher regional court
Section 130Decision on inclusive contracts
Section 131Exclusive jurisdiction
Part 6
Transitional and final provisions
Section 132Transitional provision on authorisations
Section 133Notification period
Section 134Transitional provision on adapting statute to requirements of this Act
Section 135Information requirements of collecting society upon entry into force of this Act
Section 136Transitional provision on statements by management and supervisory body
Section 137Transitional provision on accounting and transparency report
Section 138Transitional provision on supervisory authority’s proceedings
Section 139Transitional provision on proceedings before Arbitration Board and on assertion of claims in court
Section 140Transitional provision on publishers’ share as from 7 June 2021
Section 141Transitional provision on out-of-commerce works; authorisation to issue statutory instruments
Annex
(to section 58 (2))
Content of annual transparency report