Australian retransmission service
About the service
Retransmission royalties are generated where free to air television or radio broadcasts are retransmitted across a different network.
Screenrights has been appointed by the Australian government to administer the retransmission provisions of the Copyright Act with royalties payable to rightsholders in programs that are retransmitted from 4 March 2001.
Screenrights has concluded agreements with cable and satellite operators who retransmit free to air television broadcasts and radio broadcasts across their networks.
Screenrights is negotiating agreements for other retransmissions such as mobile TV and retransmissions in large residential developments and hospitals.
Where the royalties come from
Cable and satellite operators pay a negotiated royalty rate to Screenrights for the television and radio broadcasts that they retransmit across their networks.
The royalty rate is calculated by subscriber per month and is set at 22.5 cents for the retransmission of the five free to air networks and their affiliates.
Screenrights collects the licence fees, identifies the programs that are retransmitted and pays royalties to the rightsholders in these programs.
How the royalties are calculated
Screenrights uses a broadcast sample to identify the programs that are retransmitted in Australia. The broadcast sample accounts for regional variations in television programming.
The value of royalties derived from the retransmission of a television program is dependent on the duration of the program, how often it plays, the time of day it is broadcast, the television network on which it is aired and the extent to which that network is retransmitted throughout Australia.
See also: Full Distribution Policy (680K)
Royalties paid under the service
A television program contains a number of components protected by the Australian Copyright Act. According to Screenrights' Distribution Policy, royalties are allocated to the following components of a television program retransmitted under the Australian retransmission service:
Component of TV program retransmitted under the Act |
Royalty Allocation |
|---|---|
| Film (cinematographic film) | 68.5% |
| Script (literary and dramatic works) | 22.1% |
| Commissioned sound recordings | 0.67% |
| Commercial sound recordings | 1.11% |
| Library sound recordings | 0.21% |
| Musical (and associated literary) works | 7.4% |
Screenrights pays rightsholders directly for Film, Script and Commissioned Sound Recordings (CSR).
Royalties for Commercial Sound Recordings are paid via the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), royalties for Library Sound Recordings are paid via the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society (AMCOS) and royalties for Musical Works are paid via the Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA).
Screenrights also pays royalties for Artistic Works incorporated in programs, which can include paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, photographs and other works of 'artistic craftmanship'.
See also: Info Sheet - Retransmission Royalties Distribution Policy, Info Sheet - Artistic Works
Claiming royalties under this service
To claim royalties for retransmitted programs in Australia you must be a member of Screenrights and register your titles.
Become a member
Screenrights is required by law to pay royalties to members only. It is free to join - you only need to join once, and membership is straightforward. Furthermore you are not giving any rights away by becoming a member.
If you are unsure if you are a member already, please contact us.
Register titles
As a Screenrights member, the only step necessary to claim retransmission royalties is to register your titles, or extend previous registrations to include the Australian Retransmission Service.
Addressing Screenrights royalties in your contracts
Any agreements, including sales and distribution agreements, should ideally address who is entitled to claim Screenrights royalties as the owner, assignee, or exclusive licensee of the relevant copyright.
Screenrights publishes suggested clauses that address who is entitled to royalties under the various collection services we administer.
See also: Info Sheet - Standard Contract Clauses
Hospital, Ninox Television
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"Screenrights royalties provided our investors with the first major recoupment and my company with the insight that educators had really responded and engaged with our program."
- Daniella Ortega Producer and Co-Director Daniella Ortega Productions Pty Ltd
