SGAE back at CISAC is a positive step for the creative community

By Emmanuel Legrand

The re-admission of SGAE among the global organisation of rights societies closes a dark and stormy period for the Spanish society and puts a (temporary?) end to a saga that, as I once wrote, had more episodes than a Venezuelan telenovela. SGAE back at CISAC is a good sign for the creative community, but the Spanish society still needs to remain under international scrutiny.

  SGAE had lost its compass and its raison d'être. The society made headlines for all the wrong reasons, and certainly not for its work on behalf of creators.

  The break-up from CISAC was lived like a tragedy. It received massive coverage in the local press and it was seen as a sign that SGAE was no longer up to international standards and that it reflected negatively on Spain as a whole.

Disregard for rules

  For many years, both the society's management and board have resisted changes, regardless of the fact that a European Directive had set up a new framework and that CISAC was pushing for reforms. SGAE had problems to adhere to both the Directive and CISAC's standards, and it thought it could continue to navigate with total disregard for these rules.

  Transparency was not in the genes of the society, and its management, in the heydays of the Teddy Bautista regime, was never questioned until the country's justice started to have a look into its businesses. And it did not look good.

  It opened a door into the unknown and the society went through a series of internal shocks (such as four presidents in two years) and convulsions (such as the "rueda" which showed how corrupt the SGAE system was at the top). The management of the society failed or refused to implement a semblance of reform, until its position was no longer tenable.

Need for reforms

  CISAC whistled the end of the party in 2019 after many warnings. It could not let a society among one of the most important countries in Europe rot to the core and threaten to take down the whole collective management system. Either SGAE reformed or it would sit on the fringes and lose all influence. Meanwhile, competitors such as Barcelona-based Unison were starting to take over SGAE's business.

  SGAE still needs to be under the microscope to ensure that its reforms are well implemented and that it has fundamentally changed its modus operandi. It is in the interests of Spanish authors, composers and publishers to have a fully operational and transparent society. The Covid pandemic has shown the importance and value in the music eco-system of collective management organisations that work on behalf of creators. 

Efficiency and transparency

  Spanish is an important market for rights (before it was excluded from CISAC it was among the top 10 markets for music collections) and it is also is home to a vibrant creative scene. It now needs to reclaim its seat among the international community of rights societies and fully play its role, not only in Spain but also on the European stage, where its voice needs to be heard.

  From now on, let's hope that SGAE will be better known for its efficiency, its transparency and its advocacy work on behalf of creators than for its shortcomings and mismanagement.