Audiovisual authors demand the principle of proportional remuneration in the digital single market

The authors ask that the European Copyright Directive effectively guarantees that they can benefit from the economic success of their works.

Since the three-way negotiations on the proposal Directive on car rightsr in the digital single market are coming to an end, 95 European authors have signed a manifesto demanding to be able to benefit from the economic success of their works.

Today, screenwriters and directors in Europe are often disconnected from the success of the works they create.

La debilidad del poder de negociación en la negociación de los contratos individuales y la aplicación desigual de la gestión de los derechos colectivos o de las soluciones de negociación colectiva son factores importantes de esta situación.

A medida que surgen actores de la distribución global en el mercado audiovisual de la UE, se produce un contraste de la situación de los autores con respecto a guionistas y directores estadounidenses, a los que se compensa por la distribución de su trabajo en todo el mundo.

This uneven playing field, both within the Digital Single Market and globally, must come to an end, and solutions that fit within our copyright framework must be urgently found.

By establishing a fundamental principle of fair and proportionate remuneration for authors and performers in Europe, Article 14 could ensure that authors are remunerated equitably for the success of their works.

In the new Directive, the authors demand an explicit reference to “proportional” remuneration as the only way to receive a fair reward for the success of our work by receiving an adequate share of the income generated by our works.

On the other hand, there should be a clear reference to the different collective mechanisms currently in force in various Member States in Article 14, i.e. collective agreements, collective management of rights and statutory remuneration mechanisms. Where they exist, these mechanisms provide authors with the support and bargaining power we need to get paid for our work and their exploitation. They also provide producers and investors with the legal certainty they need to produce and license our works.

In their view, the idea of ​​a single lump sum payment contradicts the idea of ​​proportionate remuneration and the prospect of requesting an additional payment in accordance with Article 15. Proportional remuneration should be the norm and the recital should make it clear that lump sums, although technically possible, should be the exception.