[Fmpro] 66% Writer Share on French Performances

[Mark Northam]

On 1/27/08 5:49 AM, "Claude Castonguay" <c.castonguay at videotron.ca> wrote:

> Had i not negociated this, i know i would not have received 66%.SOCAN
> told me. Now does SACEM send invariably 66/33 and North American PROs
> change it back to 50/50. Sure hope not...

That's a great question... My best information indicates that SACEM makes
the change on their end from 66% to 50% for the writer BEFORE they send it
to ASCAP and BMI, however that is not confirmed.

If ASCAP and BMI are actually deducting the 16% from the intended writer
portion, that would be quite another matter.

Doug Wood? Shawn LeMone? Can you clarify exactly where the 66% writer's
share on French performances turns into 50% on the way to US writers who are
not direct members of SACEM? We know that direct SACEM members, even US
residents, can get the 66% writer share from SACEM on French performances,
but somewhere along the line, apparently, 16% is moved from the writer side
to the publisher side. Where? Why?

Either way, that 16% is, cumulatively, a big number... No doubt the
publishers would be just as happy to keep it in their pocket... Pandora's
box is about to be opened....

Best,

Mark Northam