Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society

Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society
Name	Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society
Formation	1977
Type	Collective management organisation
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Region served	United Kingdom
Membership	Authors, writers, illustrators, translators
Leader title	Chief Executive

Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society

The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society was founded to administer collective licensing and rights management for writers and other creators in the United Kingdom. It operates alongside organisations such as Society of Authors, Writers' Guild of Great Britain, Publishing Association, British Library, and BBC to channel payments from reproduction and secondary uses to contributors. The society interacts with institutions like Oxford University Press, Cambridge University Press, British Museum, National Archives (United Kingdom), and legal frameworks including the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 and European directives to secure payments for members.

History

The organisation emerged in the context of disputes involving Gordon McLennan, collective management debates tied to Copyright Act 1911 legacies, and campaigns by groups including the Society of Authors and trade unions such as the National Union of Journalists. Its early years saw negotiation with broadcasters like BBC and educational institutions including Open University and University of London for photocopying and reprographic licensing. Landmark interactions involved publishers such as Penguin Books, HarperCollins, and Random House (UK), and legal reference points including the European Court of Justice rulings affecting reprography and fair remuneration. Over decades the organisation adapted to digital change driven by companies like Google, platforms such as YouTube, and database issues spotlighted by British Library digitisation projects.

Structure and Governance

Governance mirrors structures used by Performing Right Society and PRS for Music with a board including elected representatives from sectors represented by the organisation: novelists associated with Royal Society of Literature, academic authors tied to University of Oxford, and journalists linked to the Press Association. Executive management interfaces with regulators including the Intellectual Property Office and sits alongside advisory interactions with institutions such as Arts Council England and trade bodies like the Book Industry Communication. Democratic mechanisms allow voting by eligible members similar to procedures in Chartered Institute of Journalists and constituent meetings are held in venues such as Church House, Westminster and offices in London.

Membership and Eligibility

Membership categories reflect professional criteria used by groups like the Society of Authors and Royal Society of Literature: published authors, freelance journalists, translators with credits from houses like Faber and Faber, and illustrators with commissions from organisations such as The Guardian or The Times. Eligibility often requires proof of publication with presses such as Oxford University Press or credits in outlets including The Independent, Daily Telegraph, and academic monographs recognized by universities including University College London. Special provisions exist for estates of deceased creators akin to arrangements administered by Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society peers in other jurisdictions like Copyright Clearance Center in the United States.

Licensing Activities and Services

The society issues licences for reprographic copying in contexts such as schools governed by Department for Education (England), universities like University of Cambridge, and corporate use by firms resembling Barclays and HSBC. It negotiates licences for digital scanning projects undertaken by institutions like British Library and commercial services comparable to JSTOR and interfaces with educational publishers including Pearson PLC and Bloomsbury Publishing. Services include rights clearance, licence negotiation, and dispute mediation similar to offerings from Copyright Clearance Center and SOCAN in other domains.

Royalty Collection and Distribution

Royalty flows are collected from licensees ranging from broadcasters like ITV to educational consortia such as the Russell Group. Distribution mechanisms use membership databases akin to systems operated by PRS for Music and PPL to allocate payments by category—photocopying, digital use, and reprographic reproduction. Payments account for publishing credits from houses such as Macmillan Publishers, translation credits involving agencies like Literary Agents Association, and rights assigned by estates represented similarly to arrangements under Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society counterparts in Europe such as ProLitteris.

Criticisms and Legal Issues

The society has faced criticism paralleling disputes encountered by PRS for Music and ASCAP over transparency and distribution formulas. Challenges have included legal complaints tied to interpretation of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, debates over collective bargaining like those seen in cases with Google Books, and member disputes echoing controversies within Society of Authors. Regulatory scrutiny from bodies such as the Competition and Markets Authority and rulings from courts including the High Court of Justice have shaped policy on fees, remittance periods, and licensing scope.

Impact and Influence on Publishing and Authors

The organisation influenced remuneration norms affecting major publishers such as Penguin Books, Hachette Livre, and academic presses like Cambridge University Press, and informed institutional practices at universities including University of Edinburgh and museums such as Victoria and Albert Museum. It contributed to debates over digital rights and fair payment that intersect with initiatives by Creative Commons, disputes involving Google, and campaigns led by Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society-aligned advocacy groups. Its role has affected contract negotiations between authors and agents linked to Association of Authors' Agents and shaped policymaking involving the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Category:Copyright organizations