The right to remuneration contributes 13% of the annual income of audiovisual authors, according to a study

The right to remuneration represents 13 percent of the annual income of Spanish audiovisual authors and is received by nearly 60 percent of the group, according to the study ‘The economic importance of the right to remuneration in the Spanish audiovisual market’, presented this Tuesday by DAMA and SGAE.

The research, prepared by Know Media based on 685 surveys of members of both entities answered from December 9 to 26, concludes that these incomes favor the professional continuity of the authors and the creation of new works, and it is estimated that more than 800 audiovisual projects are developed each year thanks to the economic impact derived from this remuneration system.

“Article 90 of the intellectual property law says that we have the right to charge money for the work we do, that is the right to remuneration. Money managed by companies like DAMA and SGAE so that audiovisual authors can follow the fate of our work,” explained Inés París, vice president of the SGAE Audiovisual College.

According to the data presented, audiovisual authors receive on average more than 60,000 euros in remuneration rights throughout their professional life – up to 115,000 euros in future value. The average annual income of the group is 38,964 euros.

The report reveals that the average remuneration received for copyright is around 5,000 euros per year, while 65 percent of professionals have annual income from remuneration rights below 2,000 euros. Furthermore, for about 20 percent of the group, these incomes represent around a fifth of their annual income.

Likewise, 95 percent of authors consider that the right to remuneration guarantees them participation in the income generated by their work, while 96 percent value the assistance, training and promotional aid financed through management entities as fundamental.

“Faced with a panorama of income irregularity and precariousness, the right to remuneration becomes a bulwark for professionals,” said Virginia Yagüe, president of DAMA.

Another of the parameters analyzed is the possible impact on retirement of remuneration rights, in this context, almost 40 percent of the group has placed their expectation of quality of life for retirement on the returns of this tool.

The research highlights that around 65 percent of scriptwriters work as freelancers and only seven percent of creators have a stable employment relationship.

“We are talking about a panorama of insecurity and precariousness in a profession where what is abundant is talent and the desire to get ahead and the vocation, but continuity or security or stable income are not abundant,” lamented Paris, who has stressed the importance of the right to remuneration as a source of real stability for professionals.

A “THREATENED” RIGHT

The study also warns of the consequences that the disappearance of the right to remuneration would have. According to the data collected, 50 percent of authors would certainly consider leaving the profession if this right disappeared, and up to an additional 25 percent also consider it highly likely that they would make that decision.

The impact would be especially significant among younger profiles. 67 percent of new authors are very concerned about the loss of their conditions due to the loss of the right, and an equivalent percentage foresees a drastic drop in the entry of new talent.

Finally, Paris has warned that this right is “threatened” on a daily basis. Our reality is that every day there are threats to the right to remuneration of audiovisual authors. All the time. And our battles in the European context to spread it are often also threatened by the response of technology, etc. In Brussels, there is a fight between those of us who believe in authorship as the center of what Europe is, and those who think that audiovisual authors are not necessary,” he added.

In this regard, Yagüe has clarified that the entities do not have an “anti-technology” position and appeals to maintain regulations that defend the rights of professionals.