Three years of conceptual work, more than one year of founding, and almost half a year in developing later, it is time to look at where C3S stands now – the fellowship that started with the vision of shaping and building a modernized collecting society. The aim has changed from just enabling members of the collecting society to make use of Creative Commons licensing. Now, it stands for full fledged flexible licensing, voting rights only for creators, fair distribution of royalties, comprehensive transparency and re-thinking music industry. The advantage of being a collecting society’s member has to become available for even those who tend to avoid them. Because the strength of a community representing today’s musicians’ interests, allowing them to join the market and make a living from their music is in strong demand. But, there’s loads of work to be done, and the administrational process to be granted the licence to work as a collecting society in Germany is complex and blurred. Since June and August 2014, tasks and challenges are getting much more precise and focused. It is the transition from concept to prototype. Expect to be introduced to the challenges of building C3S which aims at offering an alternative to GEMA – and beyond. Expect to learn how C3S works hard to meet the challenges. Expect to see how the initiators of C3S are strictly following their goal to involve the community. Last but not least, you will get to know what to expect when from C3S, and to whom it’s recommendable to join C3S – and when.

1. C3S: An Unexpected Journey.
@ SAE Alumni Conference :: Berlin
2014-10-23 :: Wolfgang Senges
www.c3s.cc
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presentation

2. What is the C3S?
www.c3s.cc
C3S
=
Cultural Commons Collecting Society
• a pan-European collecting society for music
• representing authors‘ rights for
composition & lyrics
• fair distribution of licence revenues
• full control for authors

3. Why starting C3S?
www.c3s.cc
+++ Reason A +++
Payment for indie artists
> Gap <
• Creative Commons vs Collecting Societies
• no integration of CC in Music Industries

4. Why starting C3S?
www.c3s.cc
+++ Reason B +++
Artists
administrational effort
• no member of a collecting society?
• of course no payment from GEMA
• but have to report to GEMA anyway

5. Why starting C3S?
www.c3s.cc
+++ Reason C +++
Licensees
• feel uncomfortable with CC
• legal uncertainty
• due to missing collecting society

6. ... our humble opinion
www.c3s.cc
A
new collecting society
is in demand.

7. www.c3s.cc
hhh
Who
should
join?

8. Who should join?
www.c3s.cc
Two groups:
Artists
&
Supporters

9. Who should join?
www.c3s.cc
Composers & Performers
+ Utilizing Members +
• Creative Commons artists
• non-members of other collecting societies
• members of GEMA excluding at least one
licence type from GEMA
• members of GEMA who are not satisfied

10. Who should join?
www.c3s.cc
Supporters
+ Investing Members +
• those who like C3S
• those who would like to check out C3S
• including members of
other collecting societies

11. Who should join?
www.c3s.cc
Two groups:
Artists: voting rights
&
Supporters: advisory option

12. www.c3s.cc
hhh
Essen/al
Objec/ves

13. The Objectives
www.c3s.cc
participation & cooperation
The artist decides.

14. The Objectives
free choice of licensing & strategy
The creator is in control.
www.c3s.cc

15. The Objectives
www.c3s.cc
transparency
See what you are paid for.
See what the Board does.

16. The Objectives
www.c3s.cc
fairness
Payments
as exact as possible.

17. The Objectives
www.c3s.cc
fairness
Striving hard? Get more.
Making $$$? Support more.

18. www.c3s.cc
hhh
C3S
vs.
GEMA

19. C3S vs GEMA
www.c3s.cc
C3S
• goal: easy to
understand
• if lump sum fee then
distribution by list
• otherwise tariff
per track / per play
GEMA
• hard to understand
• varied mix of tariffs and
payments
Distribu/on
of
Royal/es

20. C3S vs GEMA
www.c3s.cc
C3S
(GEMA)
Assump/on
• no disadvantage for
non-members
• pressure only in clear
case of infringement
• C3S: real-time
dashboard
GEMA
• deployment hampers
non-members
• execution at user too
harsh
• billing can hardly be
understood
Transparency

21. C3S vs GEMA
www.c3s.cc
C3S
Exclusivity
• select your works
• types can be excluded
(not CC)
Licences
• all CC licences
• all rights reserved
• licence per song
GEMA
• exclusive for all works
• types can be excluded
• no CC
• all rights reserved
• same licence, all songs

22. C3S vs GEMA
www.c3s.cc
C3S
Structure
• 2 groups of members
• ca. 42% w/voting rights
• voting: creators
GEMA
• 3 groups of members
• ca. 5% w/voting rights
• voting: creators,
publishers, heirs

23. C3S vs GEMA
www.c3s.cc
C3S
Impact
by
vote
• each artist administering
works at C3S has a vote
• depends on holding at
least one share
• number of shares has no
impact on number of votes
or privileges
GEMA
• majority of creators have
no direct vote
• rights depend on revenues

24. C3S vs GEMA
www.c3s.cc
C3S
Music
Industry
• integration can start
with operational launch
• only some licence types
available at start
Interna/onal
Licensing
• goal: one pan-European
collecting society
• advantage for business
GEMA
• fully integrated
• representing some
composers (CC excluded)
• only by contract with
other collecting societies
• „noise“ in interfacing

25. www.c3s.cc
hhh
Challenges
&
Projects

26. Challenges
1. German Patent and Trademark Office.
2. Need for revenues.
3. The underlying models:
• model of rates
• distribution key (within a track)
• membership fees
4. Software:
• administration
• workflow
• monitoring
www.c3s.cc

27. Current Projects
• Voluntary Payment (micro payment)
• Administration of Live Gigs (GEMA listings)
• Registration of Works (with SafeCreative)
www.c3s.cc
• Label (providing label code)

28. www.c3s.cc
hhh
Roadmap

29. The Roadmap
Q4/2014 * Crowdfunding for GEMA listings
www.c3s.cc
* development for Micro Payment
Q2/2015 * administrational services for musicians
(not as a collecting society)
* Open Music Contest:
roadshows & live gigs
June 2015 * general assembly #2
Q4/2015 * submitting application papers to
German Patent and Trademark Office
2016 (?) * operational start
* collecting royalties for live music, film/
commercials/games, online use

30. www.c3s.cc
hhh
What
does
it
take?

31. What does it take?
www.c3s.cc
at least one share per member:
50 € per share
https://yes.c3s.cc
no membership fee now

32. www.c3s.cc
hhh
Suppor/ng
the
C3S

33. Participation
www.c3s.cc
Membership: https://yes.c3s.cc
Sustain: https://sustain.c3s.cc
• monthly payment
Everything counts... even in smallest amounts ;-)
Voluntary supporters
always welcome!
info@c3s.cc

34. www.c3s.cc
Become
a
member!
hhh
www.c3s.cc/en
Wolfgang
Senges
Execu/ve
Director
wolfgang.senges@c3s.cc
www.c3s.cc