Millions of pounds in royalties are available for visual artists who have had their work published in an UK book, magazine or shown on TV, through the annual Payback campaign launched by DACS, the flagship visual artists’ rights management organisation.
DACS has successfully run the Payback scheme for 16 years, distributing over £45 million in total. From 16 January until 1 May 2017 visual artists can again apply for their share in collective licensing royalties via dacs.org.uk/for-artists/payback.
All types of visual artists whose works are copyright protected are eligible to apply, from fine artists and photographers to designers and illustrators. These royalties are an important income source for visual artists. Last year, 35,000 visual artists and estates claimed Payback and their individual payments - ranged from £25 to around £4,215.
For the first time in 2017 and in addition to their 2017 claim form, visual artists can also claim from a distinct royalty pot this year - worth 10% of the overall share of royalties for all visual artists. If any of their UK publication history is matched by the Copyright Licensing Agency in their list of UK photocopied publications – they will get additional royalties. To be eligible for this pot visual artists must submit their publication history by 17 February 2017. By doing so, they will be helping DACS secure the best possible share of royalties to be paid out to them and thousands of other visual artists.
Fine artist Julia Crabtree, a Payback member and DACS Board Director, said:
“It’s hard for an artist to make a living which is why so many - well actually every artist I know - have to take part-time jobs, or several, to make ends meet. Getting Payback royalties, particularly for images of projects that you've poured so much time into, at what is often a large personal expense, feels vital.”
Photographer, Kevin Cummins said:
"Knowing that DACS is prepared to work on your behalf and to get money from sources that you didn’t even know exist is reassuring. Payback is a nice bonus.”
Children’s book author and illustrator, Benji Davies, said:
“In the past, Payback has enabled me to buy new equipment or contributed to studio costs. When the royalties come through it’s a friendly slap on the back. It always feels like an unexpected and very welcome reward when the statement pops up in my inbox.”
Payback royalties come from the re-use of published artwork, such as the photocopying and scanning of work in books and magazines, or the recording or re-broadcasting of work in TV programmes.
DACS is a not-for-profit organisation and charges a small administration fee to cover its operating costs. Last year DACS reduced this fee from 18% to 16%, enabling us to give back an even greater share of royalties to visual artists. DACS continues to make its services more efficient year-on-year, making the application process easier for direct claimants as well as those claiming through a picture library. Payback is part of an established portfolio of services run by DACS which support visual artists to make a living from their practice and develop their work. There continues to be no cost to register with us.
Press images and a copy of this release in PDF format are available for
download here.
For more information, please contact Joanne Milmoe, Communications Manager at DACS on 020 7553 9064 or
[email protected].
@DACSforArtists
#Payback17
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Notes to editors
About DACS
Established by artists for artists, DACS is a not-for-profit organisation for visual artists’ rights management. Passionate about transforming the financial landscape for visual artists through innovative new products and services, DACS acts as a trusted broker for 90,000 artists worldwide. Founded over 30 years ago, DACS is a flagship organisation that has and continues to campaign for artists’ rights, championing their sustained and vital contribution to the creative economy. DACS collects and distribute royalties to visual artists and their estates through three royalty schemes: Payback, Artist’s Resale Right and Copyright Licensing.
Visit
dacs.org.uk for more information about DACS and its services.
Changes to Payback in 2017
DACS is asking for claimants to submit their complete publication history as part of their Payback claim by 17 February. This will mean DACS has the best possible set of complete and up-to-date claims data based on how many times their artworks appear in books or magazines. DACS must submit this claims data as a new requirement following the recent mediation between the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and visual representative organisations. This information will then be used to determine how much money DACS vs. other visual representative organisations like ALCS and PICSEL will receive from the CLA for Payback royalties. DACS will then pay out this money to thousands of visual artists, as they have done every single year since 2001.
Further information about changes to Payback:
dacs.org.uk/for-artists/payback/payback-2017