The Korea Music Copyright Association (hereinafter referred to as the Music Copyright Association) strongly refuted claims made by some broadcasters at the 'Copyright Issues Briefing in the Paid Broadcasting Sector' held on the 7th.
The Music Copyright Association pointed out, "This amendment is intended to at least compensate for the damages that copyright holders have suffered over the years, yet broadcasters are spreading claims that go against common sense, distorting its purpose."
▲ Enjoying Benefits at the World's Lowest Rate for Decades... Now Claiming "It's Excessive"
The Music Copyright Association stated, "The actual rate for the three major terrestrial broadcasters is only 0.65%, and the average for paid broadcasting is just 0.37%," adding, "This is less than one-tenth of the rates in the Netherlands (10%) and Germany (6%), and is the world's lowest rate that is hard to find internationally." They criticized, "Despite this, broadcasters are claiming it is 'excessive' and are trying to lower it further, which reveals the fact that they have enjoyed privileges at the expense of copyright holders for decades."
Additionally, the Music Copyright Association pointed out, "Korea's broadcasting usage fees account for only 10% of the total collection, which is less than half of major countries like Spain (28%), the Netherlands (26%), and Switzerland (27%)," and emphasized, "In major countries around the world, it is common and a universal standard for broadcasting usage fees to account for at least 20% of the total collection, yet only our country's broadcasters are paying less than half of that and are claiming it is excessive."
▲ When Selling Content, They Demand 'Fair Compensation', But When Paying, They Call It "Extortion"
The Music Copyright Association also pointed out the hypocritical attitude of broadcasters. "Broadcasters criticize even the world's lowest usage fees as 'excessive' when paying the association, yet when they charge costs to content suppliers or platforms, they demand increases of several tens of percent," stating, "This is a typical double standard."
The Music Copyright Association provided specific examples. "In 2020, CJ ENM attempted to significantly increase the usage fees for its channel programs and even warned some cable and IPTV operators that they could 'stop broadcasting'," and noted, "It is well known through the media that in 2022 and 2023, major broadcasters faced conflicts with the industry over significantly raising the fees for rebroadcasting dramas and entertainment shows, as well as VOD usage fees."
The Music Copyright Association expressed anger, stating, "Broadcasters demand increases of several tens of percent, claiming it is 'fair compensation' when they receive payments, yet when it comes to paying, they label even the world's lowest level as 'extortion', which is a typical case of hypocrisy and shameless behavior."
▲ Broadcasters' Fallacy of Claiming "Unrelated" While Making Money from Music
The Music Copyright Association firmly rebutted the recent claims made by some broadcasters that "program sales revenue in broadcasting business is unrelated to music and should be deducted and settled," stating, "Music is not just a background element but a core asset that attracts viewers and maintains channel competitiveness, and the revenue in question is also a result of music's direct and indirect contributions."
In fact, the Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2023) revealed that background music increases consumers' purchase intentions, and a study by Applied Acoustics (2019) confirmed that music enhances immersion and positive experiences. Additionally, Forbes (March 11, 2025) reported that brand-customized music increases sales by an average of 37%.
The Music Copyright Association pointed out, "Broadcast revenue, without exception, arises from viewers' channel usage. From subscription and installation fees to device sales and transmission fees, ultimately, revenue is generated when viewers choose and maintain channels, and the biggest factor enabling this is the immersion and familiarity provided by music."
They continued, "Nevertheless, forcibly separating some items and claiming they are 'unrelated to music' is merely a nonsensical argument that ignores the structure in which actual revenue is generated as a single flow." They expressed outrage, stating, "Such attempts to break down broadcasting business revenue item by item to avoid paying even a single penny in copyright fees are nothing but shameless calculations to use creative works for free. This belittles the hard work of creators and is a shallow trick to exploit others' labor as if it were their own."
▲ Abroad, It's 'Based on Total Revenue'... Only Korea Begs for Privileges
The Music Copyright Association emphasized, "Major European copyright management organizations such as France's SACEM, Germany's GEMA, Spain's SGAE, and Italy's SIAE include not only advertising revenue but also subscriber-based revenue and various ancillary revenues in the calculation of broadcasting revenue," stating, "The reason is simple. Music is the key driving force that attracts viewers, retains them, and encourages repeat visits."
The Music Copyright Association continued, "Abroad, only minimal operating expenses are exceptionally deducted, and the rest is settled based on total revenue, which is the global standard," and strongly criticized, "Only our country's broadcasters deny this common sense."
▲ The Hypocrisy of Broadcasters Can No Longer Be Tolerated
Hwang Seon-cheol, Secretary-General of the Music Copyright Association, pointed out, "Korea's broadcasting usage fees account for only 10% of the total collection, which is less than half of major countries (20-30%)," and noted, "The actual rates are also significantly lower at 0.65% for terrestrial broadcasting and 0.37% for paid broadcasting compared to France (5%) and Germany (6%)."
He continued, "Nevertheless, broadcasters continue to portray the rightful demands of rights holders as 'greed' and are persistently avoiding public opinion." He criticized, "This is a cowardly act of trying to gradually deduct from revenue items to protect their own privileged structure."
He also emphasized, "As the name 'broadcast business revenue' suggests, all revenue is directly linked to broadcasting, and music is an indispensable element in that process," asserting, "Therefore, it is natural for all broadcasting business revenue to be included in the copyright fee settlement."
[Ji Seung-hoon, Star Today Reporter]
