funeral directors worried about having to pay royalties to Sacem

On Wednesday January 31, the Paris judicial court ordered a funeral home to pay royalties to Sacem for the broadcast of music during funerals.

Do funeral directors have to pay royalties for music played at funerals? This is the question that is starting to spread throughout the profession. On Wednesday January 31, the Paris judicial court sentenced OGF, the funeral giant which notably owns Les Pompes Funèbres Générales. The company must pay 115,000 euros to Sacem and SPRé, the two copyright recovery organizations.

Music is an integral part of funerals, explains Gaëlle, funeral advisor at L’Autre Rive in Paris and mistress of ceremonies. “It’s the music that will create the whole atmosphere for the entrance to the ceremony. It also marks personality traits and moments in our lives,” she assures.

“An additional financial burden for the family”

Gaëlle is amazed, because like other funeral directors contacted, she discovered these copyrights applied to the ceremonies. “I imagine that if this decision applies to OGF, it applies to the entire funeral sector. As a result, it is yet another additional financial burden for the family.”

The National Funeral Federation itself says it is in the dark. Basically, it is a simple contractual dispute: the funeral giant OGF is contesting packages concluded with Sacem to broadcast music in ceremonies. His argument: these are private events, exempt from copyright.

The court answers no, there is a lucrative nature. What makes Gaëlle react: “What we organize is private, almost intimate.” Sacem tells us that this court decision confirms that any distribution to a public requires the prior agreement of the rights holders. OGF is condemned, in particular, for copyright infringement, after having broadcast music without going through the Sacem box. The company did not respond to our requests.