2023-10-05 16:17:00
Did Reprobel put pressure on its customers using unfair and aggressive practices? This is what the Economic Inspectorate, this arm of the FPS Economy which ensures consumer protection and fights against fraud, will determine.
Reprobel is the organization that receives remuneration for reprography, i.e. payments from professional users for photocopies and prints for internal use of works protected by copyright. Reprobel serves as a sort of intermediary between the entities that use works and the authors and publishers of these same works. By entities, we mean here the private sector (companies, non-profit organizations, copy shops, self-employed people, liberal professions, etc.), the public sector and the education and scientific research sector.
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Reprobel works with tens of thousands of entities in Belgium. Obviously, in 2022, this collaboration has not always gone well. Many companies have complained to the FPS Economy about having received requests from Reprobel ordering them to complete new declarations when they had nothing to declare as internal copies. They had made “zero declarations” and did not want, as Reprobel requested, to join a combined licensing system.
“Reprobel has sent an email to all companies that have made a “zero declaration” for the reference year 2022 with a “regularization offer” inviting them to adhere to its combined license,” confirmed Labor Minister Pierre -Yves Dermagne (PS) in response to a question asked by Mathieu Bihet.
The Liberal MP was indeed worried about the way in which Reprobel carried out its missions. “I had already questioned you on this subject because this company works in a completely incomprehensible way, jeopardizing the trust of users,” indicated the federal elected official.
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And to develop. “Entrepreneurs after several reminders – in a more than threatening tone – are asked to complete a Reprobel declaration, even if they have nothing to declare. Then, by filling in the “nothing to declare” box, this copyright protection society sends yet another letter. In this letter, the person concerned is informed that even if they have nothing to declare, they are still reactivating the form so that it can be completed again since according to them, it is almost improbable not to have recourse to works protected by copyright. Thirdly, at the end of this letter, the threatening tone returns since the company strongly encourages licensing, otherwise the entrepreneur concerned could be fined for each offense committed.”
The Economic Inspectorate received 23 reports to denounce this situation. The Monitoring Service also received emails and calls to report this persistent communication. “As a result, the Economic Inspectorate has opened an investigation to determine whether the provisions relating to unfair and aggressive market practices have been violated. It is still in progress,” confirmed the socialist federal minister.
In the meantime, Reprobel has sent a corrective message to the companies to apologize and clarify the scope of its previous communication. Those who want to keep their initial “zero declaration” for the reference year 2022 do not have to do it again.
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