On Thursday, March 3d 2016, Ukrainian authors, artists and right holders had a first meeting in several years to finally search for a solution of a royalty collection problem in Ukraine.

It is known that ROYALTY collection isn’t transparent. Today 18 CMOs act in Ukraine and each of them collects royalties, the amount of which is quite beggarly.

 “According to our information, about 50 millions UAH were collected for the year 2015 in Ukraine, 25 millions of which were collected by UACRR; 14 millions UAH – by ULASP, the rest – by other CMOs; however the amount of distributed monies to you, dear authors, is a whole other story. At the moment we are in the middle of several investigations on this matter and we discover terrible things. Only for the period of 2013-2014 years, 23 millions UAH were pulled out of UACRR by such means you cannot even imagine. Now is time to move from words to deeds. Enough of promises, enough of splitting up this money!  It is time to create rules upon which we all going to work honestly! And finally let’s give the authors an opportunity to earn and create conditions for their art” – commented Dmytro Kostiuk, the Collective management director during his speech.

Hours-long discussion between authors, foreign experts and right holders resulted in one common though of perspective of creating one CMO that would make ROYALTY payments according to the world standards. 

The talks around this question are still going on after the conference. Ukrainian authors and right holders express their demands and expectations to the future CMO as a legitimate representative of their interests. The authors’ main demands are still equal rights of founders and participants, rights and liabilities of general assembly, procedure of elections of supervisory board (Board of Authors and Board of Right holders), rights and liabilities of a Board on assignment/dismissal of a CMO management and determination/control over its activity.

Nowadays UACRR manages the rights of the biggest amount of Ukrainian and foreign authors, about 5 millions and is an organization with the biggest ROYALTY payments in Ukraine. The most important – UACRR is a regular member of CISAC, therefore it has the right to add Ukrainian works and their right holders. Moreover UACRR cooperates with many authors societies and is ready to implement the best world models of organization management by authors and right holders.

The time has come to change the situation and play by fair rules for everyone and UACRR is ready to take on such responsibility.