It is a short presentation of the Belgian SAJ (collective management society specialised for Belgian journalists).

1. Axel Beelen
11/12/2010

2. Who are we?
Who are our members?
What do we do?
What rights do we manage?
What are our projects?
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3. A collective management society of AR of
journalists
Unique in Europe!
Founded in 1995 by the professional
associations of the Belgian journalists
Small organization
Located in the center of Brussels
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4. Journalists from the written press and the
audiovisual media’s (radio & TV)
3.000 members
Increase of 7-8% per year
Conditions: a single payment of 50 EUR, at
least one declaration of works and a
acceptance by our board
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5. (1) Obligation in BE to go through a
CMS to perceive collective rights
(2) SAJ negotiates and collects rights
payments from entities that use protected
works and distribute them to rights holders
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6. Through all its activities, SAJ defends the
interests and the moral rights of their
member authors -> direct relationship with
the professional associations
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7. SAJ is a member of Reprobel and Auvibel
Reprobel is the Belgian organisation
responsible for the reprographic rights (copy
on paper) (art. 5, 2, a InfoSoc Directive) and
lending right (2006/115/EC Directive)
Auvibel is the Belgian organisation
responsible for the private copy (electronic
copy) (art. 5, 2, b InfoSoc Directive)
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8. In BE, those rights cannot be collected by the
employer of the journalists (even if the
contract says the contrary or in the case of
silence of the contract, they belong to the
journalists)
In BE:
◦ reprographic rights: 50% authors – 50% publishers
◦ private copying compensation: authors
(1/3), artists (1/3) and producers (1/3)
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9. Yearly, SAJ distributes these collective rights
to its members
Basis: previous year production
Note:
◦ In BE, taxation AR (since 2008): 15% (movable
withholding tax)
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10. Beside the management of those collective
rights, SAJ has signed contracts related to the
use of works of members (= exclusive rights)
With the publishers (FR & NL), with entities
regarding their clipping activities, with
individuals
Our tariff are published (www.saj.be)
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11. To consolidate our activities in the sector of
the written press
To extend our actions in the audiovisual
sector (cable rights, horeca (hotels) rights)
To be a solid partner in the digital era for the
Belgian and EU institutions (digitisation,
orphan works)
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12. Trying to pacify relations with our
« competitors » (other CMS, publishers)
Etc.
There is still a lot to do!
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13. Thank you for your attention
Questions?
=> Axel Beelen: juriste@saj.be
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