European organizations

private copy ?

What you need to know about private copy.

• What is private copy?
• Private copy: a pact between creators and the public
• A label to inform the public

What is private copy?

Few people know that, since 1985, when they purchase blank devices or equipment that serves for copying music and images (such as cassettes, blank CDs or DVDs, portable digital players, USB drives, digital home recording devices, etc), a small part of the purchase price (the private copy levy) goes to remunerating the authors, publishers, performers and producers of the works these devices serve to copy.

Even fewer are aware that 1/4 of the sums collected in this way are used to support many cultural events all over our territory.

Private copy: a pact between creators and the public

For over 20 years, private copy has ensured an unquestionable balance between the public natural aspiration to have access to works and the necessary preservation of royalties and remuneration for creators. This flexible system is based on negotiation and a consensus between representatives of the public, rights holders and industrialists. Over the years, its ability to adapt to the technological upheaval of the digital revolution has been amply demonstrated.

Beyond its importance in remunerating creators (who receive 75% of the sums collected directly), it can be said that private copy establishes a genuine pact between creators and the public by having the latter contribute to the creative process.

By paying the levy, the public participates directly to the funding of a large number of cultural events in a great diversity of genres and repertoires. Thus, private copy helps fund festivals, both large and small, as well as theatre, concerts, street entertainment and puppet shows, art exhibitions, opera, rap, visual arts, multimedia creators, short films, creative documentaries, coverage of current events, the writing of films as well as the arts of the circus - over 4,000 artistic projects each year... to suit all, all ages, all over France!

A label to inform the public

The creation, today, of the "label copie privée" was intended to satisfy the wish of the signatory organizations to make more visible private copy that was threatened, and pay tribute to its essential role in our country cultural diversity and dynamism.

The "label copie privée", a label to be displayed on all communication documents for cultural events benefiting the resources of private copy to help the general public understand that private copy levies represent an essential tool for financing our country’s cultural life, something to which everyone contributes.

Key figures

In France: 75% of the sums collected for private copy are paid directly to rights holders (authors, performers and producers); 25%, nearly €40m, contribute to the country’s artistic vitality by funding cultural events;

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European organizations

This section's articles

Private copy: Creation under threat
’Culture First!’ Alliance:
Signatories to the ’Culture First!’ Alliance
GESAC proposals for appropriate implementation of private copy levy systems in the internal market
An economic study by Econlaw on behalf of GESAC confirms the rationality and efficiency of existing systems of private copy levies

Press release from GESAC - 8 November 2007
Cultural and social initiatives by CMOs in Europe

Comparative analysis of the different systems for artistic and social initiatives by CMOs in Europe and their interactions with the cultural policies of European Union member countries

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Le film de la copie privée: a film by Anne Jaffrennou and Joris Clerté - 2007

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