Producers and production companies join as members of Screenrights to claim and receive royalty payments, and can also access additional services.
- There are no Screenrights royalties payable to producers or productions companies just because they make a film, TV show, documentary or other screen project.
Did that grab your attention? We hope so.
Similarly, there are no Screenrights royalties payable to writers or directors just because they wrote or directed a film, TV show, documentary or other screen project.
Screenrights royalty payments are made to rightsholders. Whether you are a rightsholder or not will depend on Australian copyright law and your contracts. You may be entitled to claim some Screenrights royalties, but not others. You may be able to claim all Screenrights royalties for all your films, TV shows, documentaries and other screen projects that you have made, or none at all. Keep reading to learn more.
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ROYALTY PAYMENTS
Getting it right from the start
The rights associated with collecting Screenrights royalties are transferable. Whether or not you own or control the right to receive Screenrights royalties today depends on the specific terms of the contracts entered into when the film, TV show, documentary or other screen project was made and the specific terms of any subsequent contracts such as distribution agreements. Screenrights publishes sample contract clauses which highlight the relevant legal issues to consider in order to get it right from the start. Of course, you should always seek legal advice from a qualified legal practitioner before signing any contract. Some of the agreements that may deal with Screenrights royalties include:- Writer’s agreement
- Director’s agreement
- Co-production agreement
- Production and investment agreement
- Interparty agreement
- Broadcast licence agreement
- Distribution and/or sales agency agreement
- Agency appointment agreement
REGISTERING YOUR CLAIMS
Once you’ve determined that you are a rightsholder and can claim Screenrights royalties, you need to tell us about it. You can do this by submitting registrations on MyScreenrights for the films, TV shows, documentaries or other screen projects in which you own or control the right(s) to collect Screenrights royalties.
Learn more about registering for royalties here.
The Help Centre has some great resources on registering TV shows and episodes and information on registration options (particularly for large repertoires of programs) and registration deadlines.
APPOINTING AN AGENT (OR NOT)
As a producer, you can join as a member and receive royalty payments directly from Screenrights. You can also choose to appoint an agent to claim and receive royalty payments on your behalf. The choice is yours.
When you appoint an agent you will need to provide the agent with information about the films, TV shows, documentaries and other screen projects in which you own or control the right to collect Screenrights royalties.
Typically, an agent will charge a commission for the services they provide. Often this commission is a percentage of the royalties the agent collects on your behalf. Appointing an agent is a commercial decision and agreement terms vary – so always do your homework and see a qualified lawyer before signing.
ROYALTIES FROM AROUND THE WORLD
For producers wishing to claim royalties from outside of Australia and New Zealand, Screenrights can collect secondary royalties from across the globe on your behalf, as your agent. Learn more about Worldwide Royalty Collection.
There are a number of other agents offering similar services and appointing an agent is a commercial decision. The choice is yours.
HELP CENTRE
Visit the Help Centre to learn more about the royalties we pay, registering your claims and timing of payments.