Sony Music and "Vkontakte" entered into a settlement agreement

The social network "Vkontakte" and the company Sony Music have entered into a settlement agreement in the framework of the case of illegal placement in the social network of audio tracks, the rights to which are owned by Sony Music. Earlier, the studio demanded to recover from the social network 15.6 million rubles for the posted tracks of such performers as Sak Noel, Sergey Lazarev, Julia Parshuta and the group Lumiere, writes Tass. Today on the website of the Arbitration Court of St. Petersburg and the Leningrad Region a message appeared “To approve the settlement agreement”, this is the decision that the court made.

It is quite possible that the settlement agreement between the companies was concluded under the influence of the agreement of Sony Music and Vkontakte on the legalization of music in the social network. So far, the details of the agreement the parties have not disclosed. But sources familiar with the essence of the agreement say that this is a “normal commercial agreement,” write Vedomosti. As far as one can understand, the agreement implies both guarantee payments to rightholders from Vkontakte and the division of profits between the social network and Sony Music.

Vkontakte, according to the same sources, plans to upgrade its own music service. Here paid elements will be gradually introduced, and some free functions in mobile products will be removed. Access to music will be provided in two types: free, with advertising, and paid, by subscription, without advertising.

Recall that claims to “Vkontakte” also impose Warner Music and Universal Music. All three studios, Warner Music, Sony Music and Universal Music in 2014, accused the studio of piracy.