Who or what is GEMA?

GEMA (Society for Musical Performance and Mechanical Reproduction Rights) trustfully manages the rights of over 60,000 members and over a million foreign beneficiaries (as of 2010).

In short: It represents the interests of the author and ensures that the intellectual property of the members is and remains protected. In a broader sense, GEMA also collects fees for the use of its members' intellectual property and passes on the income, minus your administrative costs, to the author.