The Italian Competition Authority has opened an investigation into SIAE to ascertain possible unlawful conduct pursuant to Art. 102 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) in the field of the management and intermediation of copyright-related rights.
The proceedings were initiated following the complaints by certain companies offering in Italy innovative services alternative to those of the national monopoly organisation, in order to check whether SIAE's conduct has the effect of excluding all competition from the markets investigated, hindering the activities of new entrant operators and thus also restricting the freedom of the same authors and publishers to choose the collective society with which to associate themselves or from which to request services, including services merely ‘accessory’ to copyright-related rights intermediation.

The preliminary investigation also aims to ascertain whether the association of live music show producers and organisers, ASSOMUSICA, has put in place an agreement restricting competition, pursuant to Art. 101 TFEU, by adopting guidelines that instruct associated companies not to enter into licensing agreements or pay fees to management companies in competition with SIAE.

Today, the officers of the Italian Competition Authority carried out an inspection at SIAE's headquarters and its local branch in Rome, as well as at the headquarters of Assomusica in Rome and its operational headquarters in Genova, with the support of the Special Antitrust Unit of Guardia di Finanza.

Rome, 12 April 2017