Dutch neighbouring rights collector SENA loses 35 million euro’s

SENA, the Dutch foundation that collects fees for playing music from companies, has missed out on 35 million euro’s in the year 2009.

For some of SENA’s outstanding invoices the payment term of five years expired in 2009. SENA has outsourced its fee collecting to a company called Intrum Justitia. The monitoring of these invoices was not very successful. Two attendees at SENA’s last meeting confirmed this to Quote magazine.

The 35 million euro loss does not solely consist of uncollectable bills. The fee SENA receives from television broadcasters is linked to advertising revenues. The latter has diminished last year as a result the crisis and hence the remuneration to SENA.

Performers such as musicians and record producers would have benefitted from the 35 million euro’s. SENA collects music fees based on Article 7 of the Dutch Neighbouring Rights Act (Wet naburige rechten) and on the instructions of the Minister of Justice. Sister Organization BUMA collects the fees for authors (such as songswriters and composers) under the Dutch Copyright Act (Auteurswet).

SENA’s annual report for 2009 will not appear until September 8, said board member Erwin Angad-Gaur. According to Angad-Gaur it is clear that the report is late because something is wrong.