As a result of new strict corona restrictions, TONO is exempting music in online church services until February 1. Remember to report usage digitally.
/ 14/12/2021 / Kristian DugstadStrict infection control regulations and restrictions have characterized society over the past two years. For long periods, Norwegian congregations have not been able to gather for physical church services. TONO has several times throughout the corona pandemic granted exemptions from ordinary TONO licensing of music in online church services for uses that have been difficult to consider as anything other than pure replacements for ordinary physical church services.
In December 2021, society is once again in a pressured situation, and new strict restrictions apply until mid-January. TONO has therefore decided to introduce a new temporary exemption from December 1 to February 1.
The regulation regarding a maximum of 20 people at public indoor events without permanent assigned seating and 50 people when using permanent assigned seating undoubtedly places a limitation on congregations' planned activities during the Christmas season.
The exemption initially applies until February 1, 2022. The exemption applies to performance rights for live online church services, but also to synchronization rights when video recordings of church services remain available online for up to one week after the event.
All use of music, digital and physical, must be reported to TONO. From January 1, TONO will no longer accept paper reports from congregations and religious communities. Reporting will then take place digitally on Mitt TONO.
Read more: End of paper reporting of religious ceremonies
TONO is owned and managed by authors (composers and lyricists) and music publishers, and manages the economic copyrights in the music they have created. TONO grants permission for the use of protected music, for example on radio, TV, the internet, concerts and cinemas for a fee, and transfers its financial results each year to the rights holders of music that has been played publicly. TONO has more than 37,000 members, but also works for millions of authors and music publishers from around the world. TONO's social role is twofold, on the one hand collecting and simplifying the licensing of protected music and on the other hand providing music creators with an economic basis for creating new musical works. TONO's turnover in 2020 was kr 712,4 millions.
For more information: Willy Martinsen, communications manager at TONO, email: willy.martinsen (a) tono.no, tel: 909 65,254.