Association

In the age of ad blockers it was no longer possible to cover the costs of webhosting by advertising revenues. Furthermore the website had and has to be developed in technical matters. That is why we founded COVER.INFO n. e. V., a non-registered association, on June 1, 2018. The goal is to keep the project COVER.INFO alive, not only by voluntary work but also by donations.

The association is managed by the board consisting in Thomas Wagner and Axel Mellenthin (in the beginning Herbert Zach also). These three are also part of the editorial staff of COVER.INFO and taking care of the content of the database.

Altruistic activity serving public benefits

COVER.INFO n. e. V. is an association serving public benefits which is officially recognized by the tax authorities of Oranienburg, Germany (Finanzamt Oranienburg, decision from June 25, 2018, file number 053 / 142 / 03641 K03). The association is altruistically serving the advancement of people education in popular music. Therefore donations to the association can be set off against tax liability for purposes of German income and corporate tax. The association has the right to issue donation receipts.

When using its resources, the association must obey its statutes which are the basis for the official recognition as an association serving public benefits. Thus the association can spend its money only for its own purposes.

Contact us

The best way to contact COVER.INFO n. e. V. is by sending an e-mail to verein@cover.info.

Donations

Here we tell you how do donate money to the association.

Statutes

The statutes are in German language and published on our German page.

They define in section 3 the association's purpose as the advancement of people education in popular music. This goal shall especially be reached by
– a free of cost and public documentation of cover songs, medleys, samples and musical quotations with their related originals, and
– the takeover of operation, maintenance and further development of the website COVER.INFO with its database of cover versions and musical quotations. The database allows to the public to find out about songs which use other, already existing songs and how often a certain song has been reused in history of music.

The statutes regulate the following about the association's funds:

The association works altruistically which means that it does not primarily serve its own economic purposes (section 5).

According to section 6, only the following uses of funds are allowed: the funds of the association may be used only for the purposes set out in the statutes (paragraph 1). Members of the association and the management board can get compensation for expenses which arise in conjunction with their activity for the association (paragraph 2). The general meeting of the members can decide a remuneration for members of the management board (paragraph 3).

Section 7 regulates uses of funds which are not allowed: members may receive in their capacity as members no allocations from the funds of the association. The association may use its funds neither for the direct nor for the indirect advancement or support of political parties (paragraph 1). The association may not provide a benefit for any person by means of expenditure unrelated to the purpose of the association or disproportionately high remuneration (paragraph 2). Subject to section 62 of the Fiscal Code of Germany (Abgabenordnung) in the version being in force, the association shall in principle use its funds promptly, not later than two financial years following their accrual, for the tax-privileged purposes set out in its statutes. The use of funds for the acquisition or creation of assets serving the purposes set out in the statutes shall also constitute an appropriate use (paragraph 3).

Furthermore the statutes regulate membership (section 8 and 9), membership fees (section 10), the management board and the representation of the association (section 11) as well as the general meeting of the members and the passing of resolutions (section 12) and the modification of the statutes (section 13).

At last the statutes determine that when the association is dissolved or liquidated or when its former purpose ceases to apply, the assets of the association may be used only for tax-privileged purposes and will be given to SOS-Kinderdörfer weltweit Hermann-Gmeiner-Fonds Deutschland e. V. (SOS Children’s Villages Hermann Gmeiner Fund Germany) in Munich, Germany, a child-welfare association (section 14).