When using music in your business, regardless of whether this is public performance, broadcast, or re-broadcast of sound recordings, the Copyright and Related Rights Law requires that you pay due remuneration, i.e. royalties, to all collecting societies managing the rights of authors, producers and performers.
In Poland the rightholders are represented by four separate collecting societies, which, in practice, means that you need to sign separate agreements with each of these organizations for the use of music in your business:
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Polish Recording Industry Association ZPAV (ZPAV), representing the rights of producers, i.e. owners of rights to sound recordings | |
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Polish Society of Authors and Composers ZAiKS, representing the rights of composers of music and authors of lyrics | |
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Association of Performers STOART, representing the rights of music performers | |
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Association of Performers of Music and Music with Lyrics SAWP (SAWP), like STOART, representing the rights of music performers |
Whoever claims that it is sufficient to sign an agreement with only one or two organizations, should be considered as being deliberately misleading. It is the entrepreneur, however, who will suffer the consequences of giving faith to such statements.
Agreements with the four collecting societies need to be signed by companies which play music via radio and/or TVequipment, or from legally introduced into the market carriers, such as CDs and mp3 files.
Businesses which use TV sets to broadcast also non-music content, such as films/TV programs, e.g. hotels, should have additional agreements signed with organizations representing the holders of rights related to the use to films and TV programs:
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Association of Polish Filmmakers (SFP) | |
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Association of Polish Stage Artists (ZASP) |
When using radio or TV you also need to pay the radio/TV subscription fee. Please note that this fee is not intended for the holders of rights to music and does not exempt from making due royalty payments to collecting societies.
