April 2018 – Major SABAM tariff rise succesfully disputed

We are very proud to announce Philip Walravens & Caroline Lebon have successfully assisted a series of clients of the music concert & festival industry in a litigation against SABAM, the Belgian Association of Authors, Composers and Publishers, in relation to the recent major rise in license tariffs.

In a decision of April 12th 2018, the Brussels Commercial Court has declared SABAM’s rise in tariffs to constitute an abuse of its dominant market position, and hence constitute an unfair market practice. This decision will have a large impact on all concerts & festival organizations in Belgium, and the decision was widely communicated in the press (De Standaard, De Tijd)