Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte
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| Abbreviation | GEMA |
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| Formation | September 28, 1933 |
| Purpose | Collecting society for collective rights management |
| Headquarters | Berlin and Munich |
| Location | |
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Region served
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Germany |
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Membership
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ca. 3,300 full members, ca. 6,400 candidate members with limited rights, and ca. 55,000 Authors without access to full membership |
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Official language
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German |
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Chairperson
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Harald Heker |
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Staff
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1,068 |
| Website | www |
The Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (GEMA; English: Society for musical performing and mechanical reproduction rights) is a state-authorized collecting society and performance rights organization based in Germany, with administrative offices in Berlin and Munich. GEMA represents the usage rights stemming from authors' rights (e.g., mechanical licensing, broadcast licensing, synchronization licensing) for the musical works of those composers, lyricists, and publishers who are members in the organization. It is the only such institution in Germany and a member of BIEM and CISAC. Other collecting societies include the (AKM) Society of authors, composers and music publishers () in Austria and SUISA in Switzerland.
As an "accredited profit-making association with legal capacity" (de: ), GEMA's capacity to be a subject of legal rights and duties is based upon state conferral (under Article 22 of the German civil code). The chairperson of the executive board (CEO) is Harald Heker (since 2007); the chairperson of the board of directors is Enjott Schneider.
GEMA is organized according to Vereinsrecht (German law of association). It directly represents some 3,300 composers, lyricists, and music publishers as full members, along with approximately 6,400 more as members with sharply restricted rights and another 55,000 authors who have entered into a deed of assignment with GEMA without fulfilling the professional requirements for full membership. Members of this last group are termed "associated members" within the organization, but they do not enjoy the rights associated with membership under German law of association. As of 2010, GEMA also represents a further 2 million international rights-holders within Germany, through reciprocal arrangements with other performance rights organizations.
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