Income Sources

International Rights

The distributable income collected by BECS for the use of members’ audio-visual fixations differs from one country to another based on the rights available in each country.

The main rights types BECS collects internationally are:

Private Copying

The private copying levy is a form of reimbursement for the general public’s statutory right to copy music, film and TV for their own private use from an original lawful version. The levy must be paid by the sector that imports, manufactures and sells products that can be used for private copying. Over the years, the usage has changed from copying to cassettes, CDs and DVDs to devices with in-built storage e.g. computers, tablets, hard disk drives, video players and set-top boxes.

Public Performance / Communication to the Public

Public Performance refers to the use of audio-visual works in public places e.g. restaurants, hotels and other businesses.

Rental

This operates in a similar way to lending, but the user renting the fixation will pay a fee to the rental company or outlet.

Cable Retransmission

Cable retransmission means simultaneous, unaltered retransmission of a primary broadcast intended for reception by the public in a closed cable network system by a party other than the primary broadcasting organisation.

Lending

This refers to the right that allows right holders to receive payment from government to compensate for the free loan of their copyrighted works by educational establishments, libraries or archives.

Making Available

The ‘making available’ right is an exclusive right for performers to authorise or prohibit the dissemination of their work through interactive networks such as the internet. It is often referred to the “on-demand use”.