Distributors and sales agents join as members of Screenrights to claim and receive royalty payments, and can also access additional services.
- There are no Screenrights royalties payable to distributors or sales agents just because they distributed, marketed or sold a film, TV, documentary or other screen project.
Did that grab your attention? We hope so.
In the same way, there are no Screenrights royalties payable to producers or production companies just because they make a film, TV show, documentary or other screen project.
Screenrights royalty payments are made to rightsholders, and whether a distributor or sales agent is a rightsholder or not will depend on Australian copyright law, its contracts and any preceding contracts in the chain of title. A distributor or sales agent may be entitled to claim some Screenrights royalties, but not others. Keep reading to learn more.
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ROYALTY PAYMENTS
Screenrights collects and pays secondary royalties from Australia and New Zealand. These royalties can range in value from a few cents to thousands of dollars.
See Royalty Payments to find out more about Screenrights royalties and the rights you need to own or control to be entitled to receive them.
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 is made and the specific terms of any subsequent contracts such as distribution agreements.
Screenrights publishes sample contract clauses which highlights relevant legal issues to consider in order to get it right from the start. Of course, you should always seek advice from a qualified legal practitioner before signing any contract.
Some of the agreements relevant to the distributor or sales agent that may deal with Screenrights royalties include:
- Distribution and/or sales agency agreement
- Agency appointment agreement
Prior to the signing of the distribution or sales agency agreement, various other agreements that may have dealt with Screenrights royalties include:
- Writer’s agreement
- Director’s agreement
- Co-production agreement
- Production and investment agreement
- Interparty agreement
- Broadcast licence 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 distributor or sales agent, 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 before signing.
Screenrights can collect secondary royalties from across the globe on your behalf, as your agent. Learn more about Worldwide Royalty Collection.
HELP CENTRE
Visit the Help Centre to learn more about the royalties we pay, registering your claims and timing of payments.