Court orders FIFA Fan Fest to pay music royalties

Courts in Brasília ruled on July 2 that the Federal District Government (GDF) make a deposit in court for the payment of royalties for music played during the FIFA Fan Fest – a free event with live concerts, electronic music and public viewing on the sidelines of the World Cup football matches.

The amount to be paid is 30% of a total $117,000 that the Central Bureau of Collection and Distribution of Rights (ECAD) – responsible for collecting copyright royalties due to artists – charge on the use of their music without their permission. If it fails to make the payment within 72 hours, GDF will incur fines of $45,000 per day.

The ECAD is filing similar suits against the local governments of Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Manaus, Salvador, and Natal. The other six World Cup venues – Belo Horizonte, Cuiabá, Curitiba, Recife, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo – had complied with all legal requirements before the World Cup began on June 12, the ECAD reported.

In the lawsuit against GDF, ECAD asked the Courts to block music playback in the FIFA Fan Fest in Brasília until the situation was rectified. Some 45,000 people attended the public viewing of Brazil vs Colombia and the related live concerts. The ECAD estimates that by Sunday (July 13) – the last day of the competition – more than 70 concerts will have taken place as part of the entertainment event.

As he announced the decision for the payment, the judge argued that suspending the event as had been suggested by the plaintiff would have incurred “incalculable loss” including nation-wide and international media attention, which could damage the country's reputation abroad. Therefore, he provisionally settled for the 30% deposit in court of the royalties reclaimed by ECAD claiming this is enough to ensure the rights of both ECAD and rights-owners are protected “while enabling the Fan Fest to proceed without further issues”.

Translated by Mayra Borges