Brussels, 13/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday, the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC) announced that it had lodged a complaint with the European Commission against the new Spanish law on private copy levies. This complaint follows the one launched last December by the Spanish Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA), which represents Spanish rights holders. The new law, introduced in Spain in December 2011, replaced a €115 million tax paid to rights holders, to cover damages relating to private copy, witha state budget envelope of €5 million, which the Spanish government thought appropriate for “compensating” rights holders. In a press release GESAC said that it was of the opinion that this provision breaches European law, in particular Directive 2001/29/EC and its provisions on “fair compensation” as it introduces an unfair charge on all Spanish taxpayers. (SP/transl.fl)