Press release: Performers and audiovisual authors call on Member States to entrust CMOs to manage their royalties

12 European performers, screenwriters and directors contributed with a clear message that they need their collective management organisations to be involved in the implementation of Article 18 of the Copyright Directive. 

Watch the video from performers and audiovisual authors here.

The full event is available to watch here. 

Their message

In 2019, the EU adopted the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market.

Article 18 of the Directive obliges Member States to make sure that we - authors and performers - receive fair remuneration for the exploitation of our work.

We call on Member States to implement this Directive properly and to ensure we receive fair remuneration.

We invest our passion, time, and money into our projects, but we rarely benefit from its success, particularly online.

So far, streaming and downloads have not given us the returns that we deserve.

Alone, it is difficult to defend our rights and royalties against the big on-demand platforms.

Together, as members of Collective Management Organisations, we are stronger and can make sure our rights are respected.

CMOs managesauthors and performers’ rights on our behalf and in our best interest. They are our safety net.

We trust CMOs to defend our rights, negotiate with users, collectand distribute our royalties.

Article 18 would create an income stream for authors within the audiovisual sector and for all performers across Europe, independent of our contractual arrangements, and managed by our CMOs.

We deserve to be fairly remunerated for our work, right? Right!

In the video

• Robert Alberdingk Thijm, screenwriter, the Netherlands
• Barbara Białowąs, director, Poland
• Isabel Blanco, actress, Spain
• Anne Bouvier, actress, France
• Sebastian Cavazza, actor, Slovenia
• Luc Dardenne, director, Belgium
• Neil Dudgeon, actor, UK
• Marie-Castille Mention-Schaar, director and screenwriter, France
• Gregory Montel, actor, France
• Katharina Mückstein, director, Austria
• Kasia Rodowicz, singer, Poland
• Ivana Sujova, screenwriter, Slovakia

Organisers

The event was organised by the Association of European Performers’ Organisations (AEPO-ARTIS) and the Society of Audiovisual Authors, and supported by the European Parliament’s Cultural Creators Friendship Group (CCFG).

Quotes

“To make art is a hard work. It takes months, years to write a book or a screenplay. I live with my story night and day. I have no time left for negotiating or managing my rights. Writing for film and TV is a very isolated and competitive profession. That’s why I joined my CMO when I was a young author, otherwise I would be alone”. Jochen Greve, screenwriter, Germany

"Unity is strength. Collectivity is the key here. CMOs can offer a common response and legal solutions to global troubles. I think CMOs are the strong arm that performers can hold onto during their whole career, in the good times and the bad". Nacho Garcia Vega, musician, Spain   

“I have taken a new initiative, aiming at the establishment of a European Label or Certificate, for the platforms that play-and-pay fairly. With such a sign or a badge, citizens are informed and may make a consumption choice, and thus, prefer platforms that pay artists according to their played content.” Alexis Georgoulis, actor and MEP (GUE/NGL, Greece)