The Escritório Central de Arrecadação e Distribuição (also known as ECAD; can be translated as Central Bureau for Collection and Distribution[1]) is the national copyright collection agency in Brazil. It is made up of six partner organisations: ABRAMUS, AMAR, ASSIM, SBACEM, SICAM, SOCINPRO and UBC.[2] [3]
ECAD also produce a Radio Ranking of music based on radio airplay.[4]
In 2012, fifteen officials were indicted after an investigation by the Brazilian Senate found that some at ECAD had allegedly taken money intended for artists and had engaged in price fixing.[5]
Ronaldo Lemos, an academic from Fundação Getúlio Vargas, has said he believes ECAD used legal pressure on their critics and described them as a "litigation machine". Lemos claimed that leaked documents from ECAD showed that they planned to sue him.