Sanasto

What Sanasto does

Sanasto (Sanasto ry) is a Finnish non-profit literary copyright society founded in 2005 and headquartered in Helsinki. It serves as the collective management body for literary authors and translators in Finland, representing over 20,000 creators across genres including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and translation. The organization administers copyright remunerations for public lending, radio/TV use, public performance, publication, exhibition, and accessibility library audiobooks, while licensing literary works to event organizers, publishers, theaters, broadcasters, libraries, and exhibition venues. Sanasto is approved by the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture as an extended collective licensing (ECL) organization, meaning its licenses cover both member and non-member authors under Finnish Copyright Act section 19.

Sanasto operates a dual-platform technology system: OmaSanasto, a self-service web portal where authors register works, manage profiles, view compensation statements, and update contact and tax information using Finnish bank identifiers for identity verification; and Lupakauppa (luvat.sanasto.fi), an online license shop where users select license types, submit applications, receive price estimates, and obtain invoiced licenses. The OmaSanasto portal integrates with the National Library of Finland's Melinda bibliographic database for automatic work suggestions based on registered author names. The platform processes roughly 2.03 million EUR in quarterly compensation distributions to approximately 10,000+ authors and heirs per cycle.

Sanasto's revenue model is built on licensing royalties and administered public lending right (PLR) compensation funded by the Finnish government. License fees are usage-based, with individual license prices ranging from approximately 11 EUR for restricted performance licenses to 495 EUR for ten-performance annual packages, plus 13.5% VAT. Cost deductions from compensation distributions are 11.08% for lending, 9.45% for e-lending, and 9% for other copyright compensations. The organization is governed by a six-person board representing four member organizations: the Union of Finnish Writers, the Finnish Association of Non-fiction Writers, the Society of Swedish Authors in Finland, and the Finnish Association of Translators and Interpreters.

Name

Sanasto

Legal name

Sanasto ry

Website

https://sanasto.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sanasto is a Finnish non-profit literary copyright society founded in 2005, representing over 20,000 authors and translators. It administers government-funded public lending compensation and licenses literary works to event organizers, publishers, broadcasters, libraries, and exhibition venues across Finland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Literary Copyright Management

NAICS

Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131), Book Publishers (513130), Music Publishers (51223)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIABAB

Publishing Administration (Catalog Admin, Global Subpublishing)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

SECONDARYMPAIABAL

Royalty Accounting & Payment Services (Statements, Audits, Payee Management)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

SECONDARYMPAIABAE

Performance Rights Administration (PRO Affiliation, Cue Sheet/Setlist Processing)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Music Publishing (Songwriting, Rights Administration, Licensing)

Keywords

• Literary copyright licensing
• Public lending rights
• Copyright collective management
• Extended collective licensing
• Author royalty distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Helsinki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Lending Compensation Administration: Sanasto administers and distributes public lending right (PLR) compensation paid from government funding for Finnish library lending of literary works. The legislative base is section 19 of the Finnish Copyright Act. Funding is provided by the Finnish government and distributed to rights holders based on library loan statistics.
2. License Fees for Literary Use: Sanasto collects license fees from users of literary works (event organizers, publishers, theaters, radio/TV companies, libraries) and distributes these to represented authors. License types include performance licenses, publication licenses, exhibition licenses, radio/TV licenses, and more.
3. E-lending Compensation: Sanasto distributes e-lending compensation for library use of e-books and e-audiobooks. Legislation effective January 2024 extended compensation to digital library lending.
4. Copyright Administration for Extended Collective Licensing: As an extended collective licensing organization approved by the Ministry of Education and Culture, Sanasto administers copyright remunerations for: library lending, radio/TV use, accessibility library Celia audiobooks, public performance, publications, exhibitions, and library/archival use.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sanasto is a Finnish literary copyright collective management organization that grants licenses for the use of literary works (performance, publication, exhibition, event material, radio/TV, postcard, library web, obituary) and distributes public lending right compensation to authors and translators. It holds extended collective licensing authority approved by the Ministry of Education and Culture, enabling it to license works by both its represented authors and non-member authors on equal terms. Authors access compensation information and registration via the OmaSanasto self-service portal, while licensees purchase rights through the Lupakauppa online license shop.

Product overview

Sanasto is a Finnish literary copyright society offering a dual-platform system: OmaSanasto self-service portal for authors to manage works and receive royalty distributions, and Lupakauppa license shop for users to obtain licenses for literary works. The product portfolio includes approximately 12 distinct license types covering performance, publication, exhibition, radio/TV, death notice, event material, postcard, and library web use of Finnish literature. Sanasto administers Public Lending Right (lainauskorvaus) compensation funded by the Finnish government, distributing funds four times annually to over 20,000 represented literary authors and translators. Legal copyright advisory services are also provided.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OmaSanasto Web portal giving Finnish authors and translators self-service access to their public lending right, reprographic, and licensing compensation balances and registration data.
• Lupakauppa (License Shop) Online shop for organizations to purchase literary copyright licenses from Sanasto, covering performance, publication, exhibition, event, broadcasting, and library use cases.
• Public Lending Right (PLR) Compensation Quarterly distribution of public lending right compensation from library lending to Finnish authors and translators, funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture.
• Copyright Legal Advice (Tekijänoikeusneuvonta) Specialized legal advisory service provided by Sanasto\u2019s in-house legal adviser to authors, translators, and licensees on copyright contracts and rights transfers.
• Performance License (Esityslupa) Copyright license for public performance of literary works, such as theater readings and stage adaptations, sold to amateur and professional performing groups at audience-tiered or annual prices.
• Publication License (Julkaisulupa) Copyright license for publishers to reprint literary works, with per-page and supplementary fees for forewords and poems.
• Radio and TV License (Radio- ja tv-lupa) Copyright license for radio and television broadcasters to use literary works, priced per program for local and national broadcasters, with separate fees per poem.
• Library Web License (Kirjastojen verkkolupa) Annual license for public libraries and library consortia covering the online reproduction of literary works in library lending services, priced per library member.
• Exhibition License (Näyttelylupa) Copyright license for displaying literary works in exhibitions, priced per work.
• Event Material License (Tapahtumamateriaalilupa) Copyright license for reproducing literary works in event programs, materials, and promotional content, priced per event.
• Obituary License (Kuolinilmoituslupa) Copyright license for using literary works in obituary notices, priced per copy with administrative deductions for handling deceased author estates.
• Postcard License (Postikorttilupa) Copyright license for reproducing literary works on postcards and similar printed products, priced per copy.

Quantifiable outcome

• Authors receive compensation even when their works are used by licensees who cannot identify all individual rights holders
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Kansalliskirjasto (National Library of Finland)coreTechnology or IntegrationSanasto collaborates with the National Library on the Melinda database, sharing work data to ensure comprehensive bibliographic records. This integration helps Sanasto efficiently match library lending statistics to authors for compensation distribution.
• YlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanasto has an active agreement with Yle (Finnish public broadcasting company) for literary works used on radio and television. Yle reports usage of works to Sanasto, which calculates and distributes compensation to authors.
• European Writers' CouncilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSanasto participates in the European Writers' Council, a European organization for literary authors' rights. Sanasto's delegation attends annual meetings and contributes to EU-level copyright policy discussions.
• KopiostocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish copyright organization for visual works (illustrators, photographers). Sanasto cooperates with Kopiosto in administering the Finnish Public Lending Right (PLR) system, with three organizations (Sanasto for written works, Kopiosto for visual works, Teosto for musical works) working together.
• TeostocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish copyright organization for musical works. Sanasto cooperates with Teosto in administering the Finnish Public Lending Right (PLR) system, sharing responsibility for government-granted funding distribution.
• Ministry of Education and Culture (OKM)coreOthersThe Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture grants Sanasto authority to administer extended collective licensing and supervises PLR payments. The ministry allocates annual funding for public lending compensation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Teosto: Teosto is the Finnish copyright society for musical works (composers, lyricists, publishers). Like Sanasto, Teosto administers PLR compensation for library lending in its category and is a core partner of Sanasto within Finland's three-organization PLR framework.
• VG Wort: VG Wort is Germany's literary copyright collecting society, managing reproduction rights, public lending right, and other secondary uses of literary works on behalf of German authors. It is the largest and most prominent European equivalent of Sanasto's business model.
• ALCS (Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society): ALCS is the UK collective management organization that collects secondary royalties (TV, radio, photocopying, library lending) for British writers. It performs the same literary rights administration function as Sanasto but in the UK market.
• Kopiosto: Kopiosto is Finland's copyright organization for visual works (illustrators, photographers, visual artists). Sanasto and Kopiosto jointly administer Finland's PLR system alongside Teosto, making them direct counterparts in the same country with the same collective rights administration model but covering a different creative category.
• Bonus Copyright Access: Bonus Copyright Access is Sweden's collective rights organization for text and visual works, handling extended collective licensing and PLR. It is the closest Nordic peer to Sanasto and a natural benchmark for cross-border comparison.

Others

• European Writers' Council (EWC): EWC is the European federation that Sanasto participates in, representing literary authors' collective interests at EU policy level. It is an ecosystem/advisory counterpart rather than a competitor.

Broad incumbents

• SACD: SACD is France's large society of dramatic authors and composers, managing rights for audiovisual, theater, and literary adaptation uses. While broader in scope, SACD operates an overlapping collective rights administration model that includes theatrical performance licensing similar to Sanasto's performance license.

Regional players

• KUVASTO: KUVASTO is a Finnish visual artists' rights organization collecting royalties for reproductions of artworks. Although focused on visual rather than literary rights, it operates within the same Finnish collective rights ecosystem and similar regulatory framework as Sanasto.
• Copyswede: Copyswede is Sweden's umbrella copyright organization coordinating licensing across text, image, and other works. It serves the neighboring Swedish market with a comparable ECL and PLR model, making it a regional Nordic peer rather than a direct domestic competitor.
• Gramex: Gramex is Finland's copyright organization for recording artists and record producers, handling neighboring rights and broadcast remuneration. It shares the Finnish copyright ecosystem with Sanasto but operates in a different (recording) rights category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SanastoInfo

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sanasto