Debt for Copyright: Alicante’s Principal Theater Owes SGAE over 66,000 Euros

The SGAE initiated the procedure in July 2021 when the debt amounted to 153,000 euros. A process carried out by the Mercantile Court number 1 of Alicante.

The Generalitat Valenciana shows its concern “for the situation that the Teatro Principal in Alicante is going through”. The regional secretary for Culture, Ximo López, explains that a few months ago they learned of the existence of legal proceedings against the cultural space for a debt contracted with the SGAE and at the last Meeting of Owners, held last October, they asked for the question.

He assures that then the mayor of Alicante promised to provide timely information, but to this day, six months later, “the Board has not been informed or convened,” he regrets. And it is that the Generalitat is co-owner together with the Alicante City Council and Banco Sabadell.

López also recalls that this breach joins the “non-call for the position of director of the Teatro Principal de Alicante through a transparent procedure as agreed in 2019”. In addition, the rehabilitation works for which the Generalitat, he recalls, contributed three million euros have not yet begun. And another pending issue: the creation of a Foundation to manage the oldest cultural institution in the city.

Copyright

The Teatro Principal, as the organizer of the shows it schedules, must pay the royalties of any performance that goes up on its stage. The SGAE denounced the cultural arena in 2021 for non-payment of these rights throughout those three seasons.

Since then the Theater has satisfied about 80,000 euros.

“The agendas could not be coordinated”

Sources from the Teatro Principal respond that this debt is being dealt with little by little. They also recall that convening the General Meeting of Owners is the direct power of the Alicante City Council and that if it has not been possible to do so, it is “because the agendas of the three parties have not been able to coordinate” and the sources add that all this information is reflected in the Annual reports on the management of the Teatro Principal.