Belgian society of the authors, type-setters and editors

The Belgian society of the Authors, Type-setters and Editors (SABAM) is a Belgian company of management of the royalties. It is about a multi-field company, deprived, created by authors for authors. The SABAM has the role of perceiving and of distributing the Royalty of his members.

It has as an aim perception, the distribution, the administration and the management (in the broadest direction of the term) of all the royalties in Belgium and in the other countries where are concluded from the contracts of reciprocity (with our companies sisters, i.e., with the other management companies collective all over the world).

Created in 1922 on the initiative of the authors, the SABAM gathers thousands of authors at present, all confused disciplines. Very often exclusively associated with the Music, the SABAM is the Company of the Compositeurs, but also of the Parolier S, editor S, dramatic authors, Scénariste S, Dialoguiste S, Photographe S, authors of subtitles, Réalisateur S, Traducteur S, Romancier S, Poète S, Sculpteur S, painter S, Dessinateur S, Chorégraphe S… This singularity makes of them an almost single case in the world.

Which is the role of the SABAM?

In short, the SABAM documents works of its authors to be able to fully ensure his mission which is to charge the royalty, each time a work of its repertory is carried out or diffused publicly, and then to distribute it with the author. To declare a work, it is necessary to be affiliated.

Affiliation

That starts with the affiliation of the author at our Company. The creator is not obliged to affiliate itself to the SABAM to protect his works, the law protects it automatically (law on the intellectual property). The creator affiliates himself with the SABAM to give him the management of his rights, i.e. the possibility of perceiving on his behalf for the public use of his works.

Declaration/documentation

Once the affiliated creator, it is of his duty to on our premises declare the whole of his works. Works are documented in our database and constitute the repertory of the SABAM. This one is also consisted of the works declared near the foreign companies. The quality of this documentation is crucial for the good performance of the SABAM; it is it which makes it possible to perceive rightly during any public execution of a documented work and, consequently, to distribute correctly.

Perception of the royalties

There are two ways of charging the royalty: individual perceptions and collective perceptions.

One speaks about individual perceptions when one knows in advance played works and their having right (i.e. authors, editors, heirs). The perceived amount is known in advance and, consequently, the amount to be distributed too.

One speaks about collective perceptions when one does not know in advance played works and the people for whom the distribution is carried out. These perceptions are carried out near the media, of the restaurants, the trade, the coffees…

Distribution of the royalties

The distributions rise from perceptions.

They are also of two orders: individual distributions and collective distributions.

The royalties having been the subject of a perception (individual or collective) are distributed: - according to keys of distribution prefixed by the beneficiaries (at the time of the declaration of their works); - according to criteria fixed by the general Payment of the SABAM and approvals by the General meeting of the members; - within deadlines which vary according to the type of right to distribute (calendar of the distributions)

Internal bonds

international Confederation of the companies of authors and type-setters (CISAC)
SACEM (French equivalent)
SUISA (Swiss equivalent)
SOCAN (Canadian equivalent)

External bonds

SABAM
the SABAM and royalty

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