DACS has started rolling out payments to over 35,000 artists and estates in its largest distribution of Payback royalties yet. As usual, most payments will be made just in time for Christmas!
Royalties for artists with published artworks
Each year, we pay artists and estates
Payback royalties for the re-use of their copyright-protected work in UK books, magazines and TV programmes.
The royalties come from a range of collective licensing schemes - the main one being the
Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), which sells photocopying and scanning licences to businesses, required by law. We distribute a share of the money from these licences to visual artists, ensuring they are remunerated when their published work is reproduced.
Find out more.
“Getting Payback royalties feels vital”
2016 has seen our largest ever distribution of Payback royalties – with £5.5 million royalties paid to over 35,000 artists and estates. Individual payments have ranged from £25 to £4,215, with the average payment being just over £148.
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 - particularly so close to Christmas.”
Read reactions from other Payback members on
our Twitter channel.
Daniel Rudd, Head of Artists’ Services at DACS, said: “2016 has been an important year for Payback. We secured an increase in visual artists’ share of royalties from the CLA and reduced our administration fee, which covers operating costs, down to 16%. We have worked hard to safeguard these royalties and will ensure a smooth transition next year as we make some required changes to the Payback claim process.”
Changes to Payback in 2017
In November,
we announced we would be making some changes to Payback next year following a mediation with the CLA, Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) and PICSEL regarding the future division and distribution of royalties.
We will be contacting members soon with further information.
New to Payback? Sign up to
our mailing list to get notified when it opens.
Find out more:
Artists
Estates
Image: Payback member Benji Davies in his studio. Photo © Brian Benson, 2016. www.bbphoto.me.