Judgment of the General Court of 12 April 2013 – GEMA v Commission
(Case T-410/08) 1
(Competition – Agreements, decisions and concerted practices – Copyright relating to public performance of musical works via the internet, satellite and cable retransmission – Decision finding an infringement of Article 81 EC – Sharing of the geographic market – Bilateral agreements between national collecting societies – Concerted practices precluding the possibility of granting multi-territory and multi-repertoire licences – Proof – Presumption of innocence)
Language of the case: German
Parties
Applicant: Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (GEMA) (Berlin, Germany) (represented by: R. Bechtold, I. Brinker, T. Holzmüller, lawyers and J. Schwarze, professeur)
Defendant: European Commission (represented by: F. Castillo de la Torre, acting as Agent, A. Antoniadis and O. Weber, acting as Agents)
Interveners in support of the defendant: RTL Group SA (Luxembourg, Luxembourg); CLT-UFA (Luxembourg); Music Choice Europe Ltd (London, United Kingdom); ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG (Unterföhring, Germany); Modern Times Group MTG AB (Stockholm, Sweden); Viasat Broadcasting UK Ltd (London); and Verband Privater Rundfunk und Telemedien eV (VPRT) (Berlin) (represented initially by M. Hansen, A. Weitbrecht and É. Barbier de La Serre, lawyers, then M. Hansen, A. Weitbrecht, J. Ruiz Calzado, lawyers, and J. Kallaugher, solicitor)
Re:
Application for annulment in part of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final of 16 July 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/C2/38.698 – CISAC).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Annuls Article 3 of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final of 16 July 2008 relating to a proceeding under Article 81 [EC] and Article 53 of the EEA Agreement (Case COMP/C2/38.698 – CISAC), in so far as it concerns Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte (GEMA);
Annuls Article 4(2) and (3) of Commission Decision C(2008) 3435 final, to the extent that they refer to Article 3 of that decision, in so far as they concern GEMA;
Orders the European Commission to bear its own costs and to pay the costs incurred by GEMA, with the exception of the costs occasioned by the intervention;
Orders RTL Group SA, CLT-UFA, Music Choice Europe Ltd, ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, Modern Times Group MTG AB, Viasat Broadcasting UK Ltd and Verband Privater Rundfunk und Telemedien eV (VPRT) to bear their own costs and to pay the costs incurred by GEMA relating to the intervention;
Orders GEMA, the Commission, RTL Group, CLT-UFA and Music Choice Europe to each bear their own costs relating to the interim relief proceedings.
________________________1 OJ C 313, 6.12.2008.