Screenrights
Screenrights is a Sydney-based, member-governed non-profit collecting society that administers statutory secondary royalty collection and distribution for audiovisual content across Australia and New Zealand, paying more than $40 million annually to over 5,200 rightsholder members.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersChippendale, Australia
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Screenrights does
Screenrights (legally Audio-Visual Copyright Society Limited) is a Sydney-based, member-governed non-profit collecting society that administers secondary royalty collection for audiovisual content in Australia and New Zealand. The organisation is statutorily appointed by the Australian Attorney-General and operates under parallel frameworks in New Zealand, collecting educational copying and communication royalties, Australian government copying royalties, and broadcast retransmission royalties from pay TV, mobile, and IPTV services, then distributing proceeds to rightsholders in film, television, and radio. In aggregate, Screenrights pays more than $40 million each year to over 5,200 members across 73 countries, with an average distribution rate exceeding 97% of money collected and less than 3% retained for administrative overhead.
The product portfolio centres on the MyScreenrights portal, a 24/7 rights administration platform through which members register claims, manage royalty entitlements, and track payments, and which supports global identification standards (historically ISAN Australasia 2003-2019, ongoing EIDR). Core service lines include AU Secondary Royalties, NZ Secondary Royalties, Worldwide Secondary Royalties (via reciprocal arrangements with international collecting societies), Collection Accounts (recoupment and investor reporting administration), and Residuals (performer payment obligations). Licensing products cover Australian and New Zealand educational institutions, Australian government departments, and Australian broadcast retransmission services, typically structured as per-student or per-institution annual fees. Supplementary offerings include workshops, webinars, Member Hub meeting spaces, the annual Cultural Fund grant program (~$300,000 pool in 2026, ~$2M cumulative since 2018), and an active advocacy function across copyright policy, including the 2026 Copyright Amendment Bill and AI/copyright consultations.
Commercially, Screenrights is a non-profit: membership is free for rightsholders, education licences are priced at approximately $30 per student per year, and Collection Accounts/Residuals are offered as fee-bearing professional services on top. The organisation is governed by a member-elected Board chaired by Kim Dalton OAM, with leadership under CEO James Dickinson. Recent strategic activity has centred on regulatory advocacy, a 2026 website relaunch, the 2025 Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan, and ongoing board strengthening with senior production and music-industry appointments.
Screenrights firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Screenrights
- Legal name
- Audio-Visual Copyright Society Limited
- Website
- https://screenrights.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Screenrights is a Sydney-based, member-governed non-profit collecting society that administers statutory secondary royalty collection and distribution for audiovisual content across Australia and New Zealand, paying more than $40 million annually to over 5,200 rightsholder members.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Screenrights industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Copyright Collective Management
- NAICS
- Motion Picture and Video Distribution (512120)
- SIC
- Services-Allied To Motion Picture Distribution (7829)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Royalty, Reporting & Revenue Share Administration (MPADALAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Rights Clearance & Chain-of-Title (Talent/Music/Clip Clearances) (MPAHALAC)
Keywords
Where Screenrights is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Chippendale
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Screenrights business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Educational Royalties (Australia): Screenrights collects royalties from Australian educational institutions (schools, universities, TAFE) for copying and communicating broadcast material. The licence fees paid by institutions become educational royalties distributed to rightsholders.
- Educational Royalties (New Zealand): Screenrights collects educational copying and communication royalties from New Zealand educational institutions under a similar framework to Australia.
- Government Royalties: Collects royalties from Australian federal and state government departments for copying from television and radio broadcasts.
- Retransmission Royalties: Collects royalties from pay television, mobile phones, IPTV and other services that retransmit free-to-air broadcasts in Australia.
- Worldwide Secondary Royalties: As an appointed agent, Screenrights collects secondary royalties from collecting societies across the rest of the world on behalf of film rightsholders.
- Collection Account Management: Film and TV disbursement administration service managing recoupment and investor reporting for screen projects.
- Residuals Service: Performer reporting and payment obligations service for Australian producers and their investors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Educational institution licensing (Australia) |
| Freemium | Annual | Membership for content creators |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Additional services (disbursements, residuals) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Screenrights product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Screenrights is a non-profit collecting society that administers secondary royalty collection for audiovisual content (film, TV, and radio) in Australia and New Zealand. The organization licenses educational institutions, government departments, and retransmission services to copy, communicate, or retransmit broadcast content, then collects licence fees and distributes them as royalties to rightsholders. It also offers complementary services including worldwide secondary royalty collection, film/TV Collection Accounts for recoupment and investor reporting, Residuals administration for performers, and a Cultural Fund grant program.
Product overview
Screenrights is a non-profit copyright management organization (collecting society) for screen content, operating as a collective licensing body. The core offering consists of statutory royalty collection and distribution services for secondary uses of film, television, and radio content across Australia, New Zealand, and internationally. The product portfolio centers on the MyScreenrights Portal as the primary member-facing platform, supported by AU Secondary Royalties, NZ Secondary Royalties, and Worldwide Secondary Royalties services. Additional offerings include Collection Accounts for film & TV disbursements, Residuals for performer payment obligations, and the Cultural Fund grant program. Licensing products cover Australian and New Zealand educational institutions, Australian government departments, and broadcast retransmission services. Supplementary services include Workshops, Webinars, Member Hub Spaces, and Sponsorships. Screenrights pays over $40 million annually to rightsholders in film, TV and radio, serving over 5,200 members across 73 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- MyScreenrights Portal Online rights administration portal allowing Screenrights members (content creators and producers) to register claims, manage royalty entitlements, track payments, and access comprehensive program information 24/7.
- AU Secondary Royalties Statutory royalty collection service for audiovisual material in Australia, covering educational copying, educational communication, and broadcast retransmission royalties as appointed by the Attorney General. Designed for content rightsholders (members).
- NZ Secondary Royalties Statutory royalty collection service for New Zealand covering educational copying royalties and educational communication royalties for television and radio broadcast content. Designed for content rightsholders (members).
- Worldwide Secondary Royalties International royalty collection service enabling film rightsholders to collect secondary royalties from collecting societies across the globe through reciprocal arrangements. Designed for Australian/NZ film rightsholders seeking global royalty collection.
- Collection Accounts Film and TV disbursement administration service managing recoupment and investor reporting for screen projects. Designed for Australian film and TV producers and their investors.
- Residuals Service Performer reporting and payment obligations administration service for Australian producers and their investors, handling residuals obligations for screen productions.
- Screenrights Cultural Fund Annual grant program supporting innovative screen content initiatives in Australia and New Zealand, offering up to $50,000 per project. Since 2018, has awarded almost $2 million to industry initiatives focused on fostering creation and appreciation of screen content.
- Australian Education Licence Licence enabling Australian educational institutions (schools, universities, TAFEs) to copy broadcast material, place copies on internal networks, or email them to staff and students, covering various uses under the Australian Copyright Act.
- New Zealand Education Licence Licence allowing New Zealand educational institutions to copy programs from television, radio, and internet and communicate those copies for educational purposes.
- Australian Government Licence Licence enabling Australian state and federal government departments to copy from television and radio for government purposes.
- Australian Broadcast Retransmission Licence Licence for pay television, mobile phones, IPTV and other services that retransmit free-to-air broadcasts in Australia.
- Member Hub Spaces Sydney-based creative workshop and meeting room spaces available for booking by members, suitable for writers' rooms, story workshops, pre-production meetings, or business planning sessions.
Quantifiable outcome
- $40+ million distributed annually to rightsholders
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Screenrights
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Screenrights technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Screenrights partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers)coreScreenrights is a member of CISAC and has pledged support for CISAC's Paris Commitment: A Shared Declaration for Human Creativity, supporting the protection of creator rights globally.
- ANZSA (Australasian Numerical Skills Association)coreJoint advocacy with ANZSA and SPA welcoming the Federal Government decision to rule out Text and Data Mining exception for generative AI in Australian copyright law.
- SPA (Screen Producers Australia)coreJoint advocacy with ANZSA and SPA welcoming the Federal Government decision to rule out Text and Data Mining exception for generative AI in Australian copyright law.
- Joint Australian creator groupscoreJoint statement from AMPAL, APRA AMCOS, ARIA PPCA, Australian Publishers Association, Australian Society of Authors, Australian Writers' Guild, AWG Authorship Collecting Society, Copyright Agency and Screenrights welcoming the Copyright Amendment Bill 2026.
- ScreenworksminorRecipient of $50,000 Cultural Fund grant in 2024 for First Nations Pathways into the Writers Room program, delivered in partnership with the Australian Writers' Guild.
- Jack MediaminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant in 2025 for Te Piringa: A Programme for Indigenous Wellbeing in Screen Storytelling.
- Script To ScreenminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant in 2025 for Script Development Workshops for Deaf, Disabled and Neuro Diverse creatives in New Zealand.
- Cinespace Inc.minorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant in 2025 for Residency+ Producing Skills Program for culturally diverse and First Nations screen producers.
- GaruwaminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant in 2025 for Ngaluwi: Documentary Storytelling Incubator supporting First Nations documentary practitioners.
- Milk Crate TheatreminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant in 2025 for MCT ScreenLab: Unearthing New Voices for the Screen, providing accessible screen-based training for individuals with diverse lived experiences.
- Jessie HughesminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant in 2025 for AI For Women In Screen Masterclass, delivered in partnership with Screen Producers Australia.
- Pacific Islands Screen Artists (PISA)minorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant for Pacific Islands Cultural Guidance for Screen Productions in New Zealand.
- Pilbara And Kimberley Aboriginal Media (PAKAM)minorRecipient of $49,750 Cultural Fund grant for Remote Indigenous Media Content on local WiFi Mesh Servers project.
- Creative Plus BusinessminorRecipient of $38,920 Cultural Fund grant for Social Enterprise for Screen program.
- Cheeky Little MediaminorRecipient of $49,984 Cultural Fund grant for Western Sydney Animation Talent Incubator.
- Maselli FilmsminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant for Women in Water: Creating Pathways for Female Surf and Underwater Cinematographers program.
- Black Apple ProductionsminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant for THE LAB: First Nations Women Screen Directors Lab.
- Touch CompassminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant for Screen Production Programme for d/Deaf and Disabled Students, in partnership with JPF Films and Ingot Films.
- Unquiet CollectiveminorRecipient of Cultural Fund grant for Distribution and Impact Lab for social impact and non-theatrical planning for three films.
- Arts & Cultural ExchangeminorRecipient of $49,983 Cultural Fund grant in 2022 for Screen Trades program, a partnership with TAFE NSW, Moneypenny Production Accounting Services, Panavision, NITV, EQ Media Group and Lingo Pictures.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Screenrights competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers): International confederation of which Screenrights is a member. Sets global standards for collective management and underpins the reciprocal collection framework Screenrights uses for worldwide royalty collection.
Broad incumbents
- PRS for Music: UK-based music collecting society that is a major reciprocal partner for Screenrights' worldwide royalty collection. Operates at much larger scale; comparable in collective licensing model and reciprocal network participation.
- GEMA: Germany's largest music rights collecting society. Reciprocal network partner and comparable in collective licensing governance and member-elected board structure.
- ASCAP: US performing rights organization for musical compositions. Globally significant reciprocal partner for Screenrights, comparable in collective licensing structure though focused on music rather than audiovisual secondary rights.
- SOCAN: Canadian performing rights organization. Comparable collective licensing model and reciprocal network partner, though music-focused rather than screen-content focused.
Direct peers
- PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia): Collects and distributes royalties for the use of recorded music in Australia. Operates the same non-profit collecting society model for sound recording copyright owners, with overlapping membership and shared Australian regulatory oversight.
- CAL (Copyright Licensing Agency, New Zealand): New Zealand's collecting society for text and image rightsholders. Direct counterpart to Copyright Agency in NZ and a parallel screen-adjacent collective licensing body to Screenrights' NZ operations.
- Copyright Agency: Australia's collecting society for text, image, and visual arts rightsholders. Closest direct analogue in the Australian market — operates the same statutory collective licensing model for a different content category (text/images vs. audiovisual), with shared regulatory and policy environment.
- APRA AMCOS: Australasian performing rights and music rights collecting society. Mirrors Screenrights' collective licensing and reciprocal collection model but for musical works rather than audiovisual content; comparable governance, member structure, and policy posture.
Emerging players
- ALCS (Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society): UK collecting society that administers secondary rights for writers across text and audiovisual formats. Comparable to Screenrights in administering secondary uses (including TV/film reproduction rights) for authors, with overlapping screen-content scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Screenrights social profiles
Digital presenceScreenrights financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Screenrights leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Screenrights funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Screenrights M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Screenrights
What does Screenrights do?
Screenrights is a non-profit collecting society that administers secondary royalty collection for audiovisual content (film, TV, and radio) in Australia and New Zealand. The organization licenses educational institutions, government departments, and retransmission services to copy, communicate, or retransmit broadcast content, then collects licence fees and distributes them as royalties to rightsholders. It also offers complementary services including worldwide secondary royalty collection, film/TV Collection Accounts for recoupment and investor reporting, Residuals administration for performers, and a Cultural Fund grant program.
Is Screenrights a public or private company?
Screenrights is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Screenrights founded?
Screenrights was founded in 1994. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Screenrights based?
Screenrights is headquartered in Chippendale, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Screenrights make money?
Seven revenue lines are on record. Educational Royalties (Australia) is the primary driver. The others are educational Royalties (New Zealand), government Royalties, retransmission Royalties, worldwide Secondary Royalties, collection Account Management and residuals Service.
Who are Screenrights's main competitors?
CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are PRS for Music, GEMA, ASCAP and SOCAN. Direct peers are PPCA (Phonographic Performance Company of Australia), CAL (Copyright Licensing Agency, New Zealand), Copyright Agency and APRA AMCOS. ALCS (Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Screenrights have an API?
No public API is recorded for Screenrights.
What industry is Screenrights in?
Screenrights's product category is Copyright Collective Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPADALAJ, Royalty, Reporting & Revenue Share Administration, with a secondary code of MPAHALAC, Rights Clearance & Chain-of-Title (Talent/Music/Clip Clearances). Its NAICS code is 512120 and its SIC code is 7829.