Nordisk Copyright Bureau
About NCB
NCB's history
NCB was established as a one-man company on 7th December 1915 by P.J. Carvil (see photo below), who had gained his experience in the field of copyright as managing director of the theatrical publishing house Folmer Hansens Teaterforlag.
The company was founded to take over the business of an earlier company, "Skandinavia", a limited company established by Carvil in May 1915 to administer public performing rights but which very soon also began to take an interest in recording rights, with Carvil signing a contract on 18th September 1915 in Paris with EDIFO (Société Internationale de l'Edition Phonographique et Cinématographique) to look after that society's recording rights in Scandinavia.
The company did not only represent mechanical rights but also took over ongoing lawsuits relating to performing rights. NCB is thus the oldest of the Nordic copyright societies.
Recording rights very quickly became NCB's main area of interest. However, the society did participate, through Carvil, in the establishment of KODA in 1926.
NCB was incorporated as a limited company in 1929 and EDIFO acquired a majority shareholding. NCB specialised increasingly in mechanical rights but also continued to look after performing rights. Over time, this competition became increasingly unwelcome to the national performing rights societies which had been established earlier in the 1920s: KODA in 1926, STIM in 1924, TEOSTO and TONO in 1927.
NCB sold in 1936
IA solution to the problem was found in the mid-1930s, when EDIFO sold its shares to KODA, STIM and TONO. On 1st January 1936, these companies jointly owned a controlling interest in NCB.
There then followed a structural rationalisation, whereby NCB became responsible for administering all mechanical rights in the three countries and ceased its involvement in all activities relating to performing rights.
The circle of owners enlarged
In 1972, TEOSTO and in 1991 also STEF joined the NCB collaboration on an equal footing with the three Scandinavian societies.
NCB has cooperation agreements with the copyright societies in the Baltic states covering the administration of mechanical rights. The agreements were concluded as follows: In January 1994 with LATGA-A in Lithuania, in January 1996 with EAÜ in Estonia and in January 2001 with AKKA/LAA in Latvia.
NCB became a self-owning institution in 1958 and, finally, in 1987 NCB was changed into its present form: "brancheorganisation" (trade association).
