Why collection changes may usher in a very new Eurovision song contest

THE European Commission has just announced a radical shake-up in the way music copyright royalties are collected. In addition to the purchase price paid for a CD or download, copyright owners are entitled to royalties each time their music is played publicly.

This can take place in a variety of ways from a broadcast over the radio or internet to the use of radios on commercial premises. Keeping track of use on a national, let alone European basis, is obviously an enormous undertaking and, in order to ensu...