DACS has welcomed the findings of an independent review into the self-regulation of UK collecting societies. The recently published report found that DACS is compliant with both its own code of conduct and Government standards.
Improving the regulation of collecting societies in the UK
The Independent Code Review was launched in November 2013 to evaluate the effectiveness of the British Copyright Council’s code of conduct framework. This was voluntarily adopted in 2012 by collecting societies across the creative industries, including DACS, to improve their self-regulation and transparency.
The review, led by the former financial ombudsman Walter Merricks CBE, assessed compliance with our codes of conduct and with the UK Government’s standards for collecting societies.
To assist the call for evidence, we asked our members, licensing customers, and the galleries, dealers and auction houses whom we work with on the Artist’s Resale Right to take part in the review.
Positive feedback for DACS
A report presenting Walter Merricks CBE’s findings has just been published. On the whole, we were found to be compliant with our code of conduct and with Government standards, reflecting an important progression in our transparency and accountability, which is critical to the public role of collecting societies emphasised by Walter Merricks CBE in his report.
We received very supportive comments from visual artists and artists’ estates who said that they were extremely pleased with the level of advice and help they receive from DACS, and that we set out our governance clearly. Walter Merricks CBE commented: “there appears to be a high level of satisfaction with the way that DACS runs its affairs.”
Read more feedback
A key recommendation of the report is to review the involvement of artists and estates receiving royalties through our Payback service in our governance structure.
Our Chief Executive, Gilane Tawadros, said:
“We are very pleased with the outcome of the Independent Code Review and welcome Walter Merricks CBE’s findings, which demonstrate our progress towards greater self-regulation and openness. I’d like to thank everyone who contributed to the call for evidence – it’s wonderful to hear so many positive comments about DACS’ work. We are taking on board the recommendations of the report and intend to update our code of conduct by the end of June to reflect deeper engagement with the artists and estates we support through Payback.”
Find out more and read the full report.
Image: No-Brainer, 2008, Jonathan Parsons © Jonathan Parsons. All Rights Reserved, DACS 2014.