[Official] Music Copyright Association of Korea and Netflix renew music copyright license agreement; "fees paid in full"

*This content was translated by AI.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (Chairman Lee Si-ha, hereinafter KOMCA) has signed a renewal of its music copyright license agreement with Netflix.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) announced on the 27th that it has signed a renewal contract with Netflix for music copyright licensing. This renewal covers full collection of usage fees from 2021 to 2025, spanning five years, and is expected to mark a significant turning point in OTT music royalty settlements and the protection of rights for music creators.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) and Netflix signed a licensing agreement in 2018 covering music copyright usage from 2016 to 2020. However, subsequent new and follow-up contracts with the OTT industry have been delayed for an extended period due to discussions regarding the application of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism-approved OTT music copyright collection regulations and the calculation of usage fees.

Netflix, a global streaming service with users worldwide, has played a pivotal role not only in the domestic market but also in the overseas distribution of Korean content. In response, the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) has prioritized concluding a renewed agreement with Netflix and has concentrated its efforts accordingly. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism has led mediation discussions to resolve differences between OTT industry players and rights holder organizations, while also pushing for revisions to collection regulations. Building on these efforts, KOMCA has reached a final agreement based on the OTT collection regulations after prolonged negotiations.

An official from the Korea Music Copyright Association stated, "We hope that this will lead to stable settlement of music usage fees on OTT platforms and serve as a positive benchmark for future negotiations with other platforms."

Meanwhile, the settlement for this contract renewal includes numerous music tracks from domestic films, dramas, and animation works that achieved phenomenal popularity both in Korea and abroad. Under this renewed agreement, Netflix has completed payments for music usage fees covering the period from 2021 to 2025, and the Korean Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) plans to begin a phased distribution process after verifying the relevant data.

The Korea Copyright Commission Lee Si-ha (Chairman) stated that "collecting OTT copyright fees has been a core priority of the commission since before its inauguration," adding, "As Korean content and music have gained global popularity through Netflix, we have done our utmost to ensure that creators behind these works receive their due spotlight and copyright royalties."

A Netflix representative said, "Netflix has always sought ways to grow together with creators," adding, "This agreement is also the result of such continuous efforts, and we are very pleased that it will further protect the rights of music creators regarding the use of music in Korea."

In the future, the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) will sequentially proceed with data verification and settlement procedures for Netflix usage while continuing consultations with domestic and international OTT platforms to strengthen the music copyright protection system in the video content market.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.