Copyright organization Buma/Stemra is ending the levy it charged to Dutch and/or sites operating in the Netherlands for linking to or embedding music or videos. Such a levy had existed since December 2012 and was controversial: sites that offer radio streams or promote music (including pop venues) were faced with additional costs for referring material. However, a recent ruling by the European Court states that referring to material that is publicly available on the Internet is not a punishable offense. With the ruling, the Buma/Stemra levy no longer has a basis. The organization has now decided to abolish the levy.

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