Re: Nouveau projet et personne ressource

[David Kastrup]

Valentin Villenave <address@hidden> writes:

> On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 2:00 PM, address@hidden
> <address@hidden> wrote:
>> I'll gladly fork over my 2010 gross income.
>
> Wow, interesting (however OT). I've just had a phone call from the
> French author's rights management organization, saying they had
> collected nearly €4000 on my behalf subsequently to my first opera
> perfomances, and that all I had to do to receive the money was to
> formally subscribe to their organization (thus acknowledging that this
> money had been rightfully collected in the first place, ignoring the
> way my work was licensed and negating nearly everything I've been
> fighting for my whole life). I had to explain to them that this money
> had been collected illegally and that they should return it to the
> Opera House; took me a couple hours -- and in the end they were
> practically accusing me of being a criminal.

No idea how it is over at your place, but hereabouts performing rights
are not automatically implied in copyright: you have to get (and pay
for) them separately.

> (And just fyi, €4000 is just slightly above what I make in a year.)
>
> (And, yes, I do feel kinda stupid for turning it down.)

The system does not pass on the favor.  The opera house has to _pay_ the
authors' association a flat fee per performance (and even if they didn't
for one performance, they would not reduce their entrance fees) or even
per season.

Your royalties will just get distributed (with interest) to other
authors once your rights expire.  Prior to that, the authors'
association has to keep a hold on them, in case you or any heir of yours
happen to change your mind.

At least that's my guess.

-- 
David Kastrup