ITunes' Joint Audit

At the end of 2008, twelve BIEM societies* committed themselves to jointly audit of iTunes’ activities from the beginning of its operations up to 31 December 2007. The international audit company PricewaterhouseCoopers, was chosen by the societies to conduct the audit in their name in compliance with the confidentiality of the terms and conditions negotiated bilaterally between the music service and each of the authors’ societies.

Because of the legal structure of Apple's business entities, Canadian and Australian iTunes’ activities have been audited once the European audit is finished. However, the local societies took advantage of their separation from the joint audit in the strict sense to request the extension of their audit periods to 31 December 2009.

At the beginning of June 2011, the European part of the project drawing to a close, PWC made a general debriefing on the technical aspects of the audit to the attention of the societies’ auditors.

* Namely APRA/AMCOS, AUME, CSI, GEMA, MCPS UK, MCPS Irld, NCB, SACEM/SDRM, SPA, SIAE, SGAE and STEMRA.