Agreement with Screenrights
Fact sheet for departments
The State has reached
agreement with
Screenrights for the period
1 July 2010 until 30 June
2016.
Background
The agreement makes
payment for the State’s
copying of radio and
television broadcasts.
Cost of involvement
This fact sheet provides
information about
departments’ rights,
responsibilities and costs
under the agreement.
Under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth), the State is required to pay Screenrights for the
copying of radio and television broadcasts.
The Whole of Victorian Government agreement with Screenrights applies to the
period 1 July 2010 until 30 June 2016. All departments are bound by the agreement.
Under the agreement, departments are required to pay Screenrights $1.26 per Fulltime Equivalent (FTE) employee per year for the period 1 July 2010 until 30 June
2015. This rate will be adjusted for CPI in 2016.
This is a flat rate that applies to all employees regardless of their role or use of
broadcasts.
Each department is required to notify the Department of Treasury and Finance (DTF)
of its FTE figures for the 2014-15 financial year. This is usually the figure that appears
in annual reporting.
Independent statutory bodies are not required to be included in departmental FTE
figures. DTF will contact these bodies directly.
The FTE figure allows Screenrights to calculate each department’s liability. Each
department is then invoiced directly by Screenrights in October.
At the conclusion of financial year 2015-16 DTF will again contact all departments
seeking FTE figures to resolve departments’ liability for that year.
Former departments
Following machinery of government changes, which took effect from 1 January 2015,
the liability of former departments must be paid by their successor departments, in
proportion to the FTEs taken on by their successors.
What copyright material is covered?
Under the agreement, departments pay for any copying of radio and television
broadcasts owned by third parties. Even if the department does not engage in any
such copying, the liability must be paid.
Under the agreement, liability is calculated differently for ‘Bulk Copying Agencies’.
These are defined as agencies that routinely copy broadcasts. DTF has assessed that
the Department of Premier and Cabinet is the State’s only bulk copying agency.
However, if you suspect that your department is a bulk copier, please contact DTF.
The agreement does not apply to written works. These are covered by the State’s
separate agreement with Copyright Agency.
Contact us
Any queries about the agreement or copyright more broadly may be directed to
DTF’s IP Policy team at IPpolicy@dtf.vic.gov.au.