2019 was another good year for TONO. Now the company is entering a year of change, says TONO CEO Cato Strøm in his greetings to the members in the new year.
/ 17/01/2020 / Willy MartinsenIn TONO's administration, we were able to take a Christmas break with the knowledge that a 7-year-long legal dispute with RiksTV was finally reconciled and settled on Christmas Eve. The case was a complicated legal dispute that included both English and Norwegian copyright. The dispute concerned whether RiksTV was responsible for clearing music rights dating back to 2009. We sued RiksTV for this in 2012, and won both in Oslo District Court, Borgarting Court of Appeal and finally in the Supreme Court in December 2018. After more than half a year of negotiations, we agreed on compensation of 100,5 million kroner. The Supreme Court ruling also means that a case law has been formed that means that TV distributors who offer channels to customers in Norwegian territory, regardless of whether they broadcast from abroad, must clear the music rights managed by TONO.
Although 2019 figures will not be published until the spring, I can still say now that 2019 was another financial record year for TONO. We will comment more on this in the annual report coming in May. Copyrights are a big economy, but we also know that total figures such as TONO's turnover may have little direct relevance to the individual TONO member. Some of our members have significant TONO income. Many have little. Much can be said about the culture and music economy in general, but I would still like to emphasize that the more than 60 employees in TONO's administration, and all the elected representatives on TONO's board and various committees and committees work hard to ensure the highest possible income, good management and accurate settlements.
In 2020, TONO will enter a new three-year strategy period. The keywords here are digitalization and IT development. Through the use of new technology, we aim to become even more efficient and skilled in the work we do. I won't say much more about the details of this right now, but our ambition is to offer members and customers a digital platform that will improve user experiences, including through a brand new "My TONO" service.
It should be easy for all customers to get a TONO license. For online customers, we have established Polaris Music Hub together with Danish Koda and Finnish Teosto. Here you get access to three companies' repertoires in one and the same license. We look forward to landing more major deals through the hub in 2020.
Our members should, and can, be confident that TONO works hard for their rights and income – through daily sales work, heavy negotiations, litigation in our administration and in our communication work where we work to create understanding of the TONO members' professional practice, of TONO's role and of copyright. In other words: Understanding that music is valuable and has value.
2020 will be a year of change for TONO in several areas. Norway is in the process of implementing the CRM Directive, which regulates all types of management companies in Europe. We are already well positioned here through the articles of association provisions we introduced as early as 2009, and later through the company's adaptation to the new Cooperative Act. Work is also underway to modernize TONO's billing models so that they will reflect the new media landscape to an even greater extent, especially in view of the fact that more and more areas are being digitized, including traditional broadcasting. In parallel with this, we want to become even more transparent, so that both members and others will be able to gain a better understanding of how TONO works. This is also required of us through the upcoming CRM Act.
In conclusion, I would like to remind you that TONO's employees go to work every day for our members. We are available to you, so please contact us if you have anything on your mind – to member services, to our marketing/customer department or via social media.
With that, I wish all TONO's customers and members a very good 2020.
Cato Strom
CEO
TONO