GEMA FAILS TO GET INTERIM INJUNCTION IN YOUTUBE DISPUTE

As we recently reported, German collecting society GEMA has been in dispute with YouTube for more than a year now over licensing rates. Licensing talks between the two broke down in May and GEMA asked the German court to issue an injunction to force YouTube to remove any videos containing one of 75 songs owned by publishers represented by GEMA.
According to GEMA the injunction was needed on urgency grounds, because there is currently no licensing agreement between YouTube and GEMA. According to GEMA member writer are losing money everytime their music videos are being played on YouTube.

Last week the Regional Court of Hamburg refused to issue the interim injunction. The court said it was not convinced by the urgency argument.

GEMA has a month to appeal this injunction ruling if they wish to do so.

GEMA will most probably proceed with their other legal actions against YouTube.