Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte ZPÜ

What Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte ZPÜ does

ZPÜ (Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte) is a German civil law partnership (GbR) formed by nine major German collecting societies — GEMA, GÜFA, GVL, GWFF, TWF, VFF, VGF, VG Bild-Kunst, and VG Wort — that collectively represent over 500,000 rights holders including authors, artists, producers, and event organizers. The organization operates as the statutorily designated joint receiving body under § 54h Abs. 3 of the German Copyright Act (UrhG), centrally administering private copying remuneration claims against manufacturers, importers, and traders of devices and storage media whose types can be used for private copying. GEMA acts as the managing partner (geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin), with ZPÜ's offices located at Rosenheimer Str. 11, 81667 München, Germany.

The core operational product is a web-based online portal through which obligated parties must submit mandatory reports, information disclosures, and evidence, and through which statutory fees are collected and remitted to the underlying rights holders. Levied product categories include burners, hard disks, blank media, mobile phones, PCs, blank optical discs, smartwatches, game consoles, tablets, consumer electronics, and USB sticks/memory cards, each with category-specific tariffs and with differentiated consumer versus business product rates. A separate reimbursement process exists for commercial end customers and authorities that have paid consumer-level tariffs on business-purpose products. No public APIs, mobile applications, AI tooling, or patents are referenced in the disclosed materials.

ZPÜ generates revenue exclusively through statutory licensing royalties collected from obligated manufacturers, importers, and traders — a B2B, legally mandated revenue model rather than a discretionary commercial sale. Pricing is set by tariff schedules established under §§ 54 ff. UrhG and is publicly disclosed at the product-category level, but aggregate revenue figures are not publicly disclosed. The business operates with a lean headcount of approximately 8 employees, serving exclusively the German market, and conducts go-to-market primarily through its online portal and website (zpue.de) without traditional sales or marketing functions.

Name

Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte ZPÜ

Legal name

Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte ZPÜ

Website

https://zpue.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ZPÜ is a German civil law partnership (GbR) of nine copyright collecting societies that centrally administers statutory private copying remuneration claims against manufacturers, importers, and traders of recording devices and storage media under §§ 54 ff. UrhG.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Collecting Society / Copyright Royalty Administration

NAICS

Music Publishers (512230)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture & Video Tape Distribution (7822)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPACAFAK

Creator Licensing & Rights Monetization (UGC Licensing, Music/Video Rights)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Digital Media & Content Platforms (Online Video, Podcasts, Creators)/Creator Monetization & Fan Membership Platforms

Keywords

• Private copying remuneration
• Copyright collecting society
• Statutory royalty collection
• Device tariff administration
• German copyright licensing

Headquarters

HQ city

Munich

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Copying Remuneration: ZPÜ collects statutory remuneration from manufacturers, importers, and traders of devices and storage media (such as burners, hard disks, mobile phones, PCs, tablets, USB sticks) that can be used for making private copies. The fees are based on tariffs set for each product category, with differentiated rates for consumer versus business products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ZPÜ is a civil-law partnership of nine German collecting societies that centrally administers private copying remuneration claims under §§ 54 ff. UrhG. It collects statutory licensing royalties from manufacturers, importers, and traders of devices and storage media (burners, hard disks, blank media, mobile phones, PCs, tablets, USB sticks, smartwatches, game consoles, consumer electronics) that can be used for private copying, and distributes the proceeds to the nine partner collecting societies representing over 500,000 rights holders. A secure online portal serves as the single submission point for mandatory reports, information disclosures, and evidence.

Product overview

ZPÜ operates as a centralized copyright collection and management organization rather than a technology product company. Its core offering is the administration of private copying remuneration claims against manufacturers, importers, and traders of devices and storage media. The organization offers an Online Portal as its primary digital service for submitting mandatory reports, information disclosures, and evidence. The portal supports two submission methods: file upload following a predefined structure and format, or direct data entry through an online form. The products subject to remuneration tariffs include various hardware categories such as burners, hard disks, blank media, mobile phones, PCs, blank discs, smartwatches, game consoles, tablets, consumer electronics, and USB sticks/memory cards. The organization is a consortium of nine German collecting societies (GEMA, GÜFA, GVL, GWFF, TWF, VFF, VGF, VG Bild-Kunst, VG Wort) managing copyright remuneration claims under German copyright law.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ZPÜ Online Portal Secure web-based portal where manufacturers, importers, and traders submit mandatory reports, information disclosures, and evidence related to private copying remuneration obligations under §§ 54 ff. UrhG. Also used for new-customer registration and reimbursement requests by commercial end customers and authorities. Supports both file upload following a predefined structure and direct online form data entry.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GEMA (Gesellschaft für musikalische Aufführungs- und mechanische Vervielfältigungsrechte)coreOthersGEMA serves as the managing partner (geschäftsführende Gesellschafterin) of ZPÜ, representing musical performance and mechanical reproduction rights. GEMA is legally represented by its board members Dr. Tobias Holzmüller, Georg Oeller, Lorenzo Colombini, and Ralph Kink.
• GÜFA (Gesellschaft zur Übernahme und Wahrnehmung von Filmaufführungsrechten mbH)coreOthersFilm performance rights society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• GVL (Gesellschaft zur Verwertung von Leistungsschutzrechten mbH)coreOthersNeighboring rights collecting society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• GWFF (Gesellschaft zur Wahrnehmung von Film- und Fernsehrechten mbH)coreOthersFilm and television rights society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• TWF (Treuhandgesellschaft Werbefilm mbh)coreOthersAdvertising film trust society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• VFF (Verwertungsgesellschaft der Film- und Fernsehproduzenten mbH)coreOthersFilm and television producers' rights society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• VGF (Verwertungsgesellschaft für Nutzungsrechte an Filmwerken mbH)coreOthersFilm usage rights society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• VG Bild-Kunst (Verwertungsgesellschaft BILD-KUNST)coreOthersVisual arts rights society ( Bild-Kunst ), one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.
• VG Wort (Verwertungsgesellschaft WORT)coreOthersWritten works rights society, one of nine collecting societies that form ZPÜ.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• PRS for Music: PRS for Music is the UK's principal music collecting society, handling public performance, broadcast, and online licensing for songwriters, composers, and publishers. It is functionally comparable to GEMA and overlaps with the rights monetization role ZPÜ performs for German creators via its partner societies.
• SACEM: SACEM is France's leading collective rights management organization, collecting and distributing royalties for music creators and publishers across performance, reproduction, and digital uses. It performs the same category of creator rights monetization that ZPÜ and its German constituents perform domestically.
• JASRAC: JASRAC is Japan's primary music rights organization, managing performance, broadcast, and reproduction rights for composers, lyricists, and publishers. Comparable to ZPÜ/GEMA in core rights monetization function, though operating at substantially larger scale across a different jurisdiction.
• GEMA: GEMA is Germany's largest music rights collecting society and managing partner of ZPÜ. While GEMA is also a shareholder, it independently collects public performance, reproduction, and distribution royalties for music creators — a comparable creator rights monetization function executed at much greater scale.
• SIAE: SIAE is Italy's national collecting society managing rights for authors, composers, publishers, and visual artists across multiple categories. It is comparable to ZPÜ's wide multi-rights scope (music, text, visual, audiovisual) within a single national framework.

Regional players

• BUMA/STEMRA: BUMA/STEMRA is the Dutch collecting society for music authors (BUMA) and music producers (STEMRA). It monetizes creator rights through performance and reproduction licensing comparable to the functions ZPÜ channels through its partner collecting societies in Germany.
• SUISA: SUISA is the Swiss cooperative for music authors and publishers, administering performance, broadcast, and reproduction rights. It is comparable as a regional peer performing creator rights monetization for a smaller national market adjacent to Germany.
• STIM: STIM is the Swedish Performing Rights Society representing composers, lyricists, and music publishers. Comparable to ZPÜ's partner music societies in the rights monetization function, operating at smaller scale in a different national market.
• AKM: AKM is Austria's authors' cooperative for musical works, representing composers, lyricists, and music publishers. Comparable to ZPÜ's constituent societies in scope and mechanism — a national collective rights management organization focused on creator monetization.

Emerging players

• SoundExchange: SoundExchange is the US collective management organization for digital performance rights of sound recordings, representing featured artists and rights holders. Comparable to ZPÜ in its creator-focused royalty collection mandate, but specialized in digital streaming rather than device-based private copying levies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zentralstelle-f%C3%BCr-private-%C3%BCberspielungsrechte-zp%C3%BC

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Zentralstelle für private Überspielungsrechte ZPÜ