Yahoo! calls for uniform EU music licensing

GristyMcFisty used our news submit to tell us that Yahoo wants the EU to set up a uniformed rights regime.  The different licensing rules across Europe mean that it's finding it hard to get its music download service set up inEurope.  In the US this problem doesn't exists as it is treated as one market, where in Europe on the other hand each country has various licensing laws.  With more countries joining the EU it will take longer for music download companies to setup a European music service if they have to negotiate with various comapanies in different countries which have different laws.  Yahoo want a uniform intellectual property rights regime for Europe to make sure they can setup their services quickly and easily without going through so many different laws.
 

Yahoo! is calling on the EU to set up a uniform intellectual property rights regime. The Web portal wants to set up a music download service in Europe. But it says its efforts are hampered by the different licensing rules across the region.That"s according to Martina King, managing director, country operations, Yahoo! Europe, who was attending an informal summit of EU ministers of communications in Dundalk, Ireland on Thursday (April 22). The report, prepared by PricewaterhouseCoopers, was submitted to the ministers at the event. The group of companies behind the report said to support the recent and highly controversial Directive on Intellectual Property Enforcement, "because it aims to harmonise minimum IPR enforcement rules throughout the enlarged EU."But, the PwC-prepared report also noted that not everyone is on board.

You can read the full story over at The Register.  These licensing issues have also setup back the Napster service launching its European service.  If any of these issues are to be sorted out it will mean more harmonising of licensing within the EU.

Source: Yahoo