Notice for the OJ

 

Reference for a preliminary ruling by the Cour de cassation (France), 1ère chambre civile, by order of that court of 17 February 2004, in the case of Société Lagardère Active Broadcast, as assignee from Europe 1 communication SA, against Société pour la perception de la rémunération équitable (SPRE) and Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leisungsschutzrechten MBG, SARL (GVL), intervener: Compagnie européenne de radiodiffusion et de télévision Europe 1 SA (CERT)

(Case C-192/04)

Reference has been made to the Court of Justice of the European Communities by order of the Cour de cassation (France), 1ère chambre civile, of 17 February 2004, received at the Court Registry on 26 April 2004, for a preliminary ruling in the case of Société Lagardère Active Broadcast, as assignee from Europe 1 communication SA, against Société pour la perception de la rémunération équitable (SPRE) and Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leisungsschutzrechten MBG, SARL (GVL), intervener: Compagnie européenne de radiodiffusion et de télévision Europe 1 SA (CERT), on the following questions:

1.    Where a broadcasting company transmitting from the territory of one Member State uses, in order to extend the transmission of its programmes to a part of its national audience, a transmitter situated nearby on the territory of another Member State, of which its majority-held subsidiary is the licence holder, does the legislation of the latter State govern the single equitable fee which is required by Article 8(2) of Directive 92/100/EEC of 19 November 1992 1 and Article 4 of Directive 93/83 of 27 September 1993 2 and payable in respect of the phonograms published for commercial purposes included in the programmes retransmitted?

2.    If so, is the original broadcasting company entitled to deduct the sums paid by its subsidiary from the fee claimed from it in respect of all the transmissions received on the national territory?

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