RadioPro Ltd (radiopromusic.co.uk), one of the Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) established in the United Kingdom, with the best interests of its right holders in mind, paved the way for the continued post-Brexit protection of its repertoire in the European Economic Area (EEA).
Until the end of 2020, RadioPro Ltd was able to collect royalties within the European Economic Area (EEA), since the UK retained EEA rights during the Brexit transition period, based on Article 126 of the withdrawal agreement between the EU and the UK. During the transition period, which ended on 31 December 2020, the UK and EU negotiated their future relationship and signed the EU–UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.
RadioPro Rights Management Limited (RRML – radiopro.ie) is a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) established in the Republic of Ireland and ensures that right holders are fully entitled to income in Ireland following the introduction of the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2000 and in other countries where copyright law protects copyright rights. The company acts as an agency, collecting and distributing these monies to the right holders in Ireland and in the European Union. Ireland has been a member state of the European Union since 1973.
RadioPro Ltd and RRML came into mutual agreement and signed a Contract of Reciprocal Representation on 31 December 2020. A reciprocal agreement is a contract, usually between two collective management organizations (CMOs) in different territories, to collect royalties on behalf of each other’s members.
Starting 1 January 2021, RRML will represent the neighbouring rights for performers and producers of the RadioPro Ltd Repertoire in the Republic of Ireland and the European Union, while RadioPro Ltd will represent the rights of the RRML Repertoire in the United Kingdom.
The combined Repertoire of both Organisations at the time the agreement exceeded twelve thousand (12,000) music works, already licensed to online and offline media in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the European Union.
Recently, both Organisations agreed to license the complete playlist of the Loungest Radio (loungemusic.co.uk) and the music videos of the Lounge TV (loungetv.co.uk), meaning that both the Loungest Radio and the Lounge TV exclusively broadcast music work of the Repertoire of the two Collective Management Societies throughout Europe.