Distribution Methodology
DISTRIBUTION OF REVENUE TO PUBLISHERS AND SPECIAL CONTRIBUTORS
The Print Media Copyright Agency allows anyone wanting to legally make copies of cuttings from print media publications for internal management and certain ancillary purposes to obtain a licence to do so as simply as possible.
A PMCA licence permits organisations to copy articles from New Zealand’s daily newspapers and many additional publications.
Statutory framework
The statutory framework for the PMCA is the Copyright Act 1994 (as amended), which embodies the principle that copyright is a property right subsisting in, among other things, original literary or artistic works and the typographical arrangement of published editions.
Licence revenue to newspapers
Revenue to each Publisher is calculated on the ratio of copying of cuttings from that Publisher’s publications in comparison with copying from other publications, except in the case that licence fees charged can be directly attributed to a particular publication.
Special contributors
The PMCA recognises that some material in its publications is the work of freelance contributors who may or may not have assigned copying rights to the Publisher. Contributors who retain this right are Special Contributors.
Indemnification of the PMCA
Each sponsoring Publisher indemnifies the PMCA against any claim that may be made against any licensee of the PMCA or the PMCA itself by anyone asserting that he is a Special Contributor.
Modifications
The distribution scheme as described in this document may be modified by the PMCA from time to time at its discretion but subject always to the modification not being unreasonably prejudicial to the interests of sponsoring publishers or Special Contributors.
Attribution of revenue to Publishers
The basic principle is that for each Publisher they should receive the share of revenue most closely reflecting, on the basis of information available to the PMCA, the copying by licensees of cuttings from the Publishers publications in comparison with copying from other publications.
1. There are special arrangements for press cuttings agencies (“PCAs”), as follows:-
(a) PCAs make monthly returns to the PMCA of the number of copies made from each PMCA Publisher, so that the “per copy” charge revenue received from PCAs can be attributed between Publishers and passed on accordingly.
(b) A PCA monthly return reports the number of copies made from each Publisher in question.
2. All other (non PCA) licensees pay a fee based on number of personnel.
3. The per-copy revenue is divided between the Publishers whose publications are shown to have been copied.
4. At the end of each quarter, the basic fees are divided between the newspapers covered by the basic licence according to the proportions in which they were copied systematically PCAs over the quarter in question and the previous three quarters.
5. Under the NZ Publisher agreements with the PMCA, each Publisher acts as the PMCA’s sub-distributor in delivering to the Special Contributors a proportion of its revenues for the copying of their works in the ratio of the numbers of their works published in its relevant title during the year.
6. All distributions by the PMCA are subject to the standard 30 per cent commission to cover the PMCA’s administrative expenses.
7. The PMCA issues quarterly statements of revenue received since the previous distribution. Publishers then submit GST invoices to the PMCA, which are paid within 30 days of receipt.
For more information, please contact the PMCA.