October 30, 2009

By By Mark Worden, Italy

A special assembly of Italian authors body SIAE which will decide the future of the troubled society?s presidency is to be held on Nov. 6, Billboard has learned.

Although no official announcement has been made, publishing sources say a decision concerning whether to renew the two-year mandate of current president Giorgio Assumma, which expires during November, or to organize elections for a successor.

An assembly in Rome on Oct. 27 was supposed to vote on the issue, but deferred the decision in favor of holding a specially convened assembly, open to all members, on Nov. 6.

At the previous assembly (on June 23), a large number of delegates -- representing both independent and major publishing interests -- staged a walk-out in protest against the current management. That subsequently sparked industry speculation about a schism in SIAE which might lead to an alternative collecting society being set up.

The dissident elements within SIAE claim the body has failed to distribute revenue sufficiently quickly and to gather digital revenue efficiently.

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