Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz relented. The creators will get the money they fought for

For several weeks, Poland has been filled with protests not only by farmers, but also – much more silently – by creators associated with the world of films and TV series. – i.e., among others streaming on large platforms Netflix, HBO, Disney and others. The creators warned that this deprived them of the lion’s share of the profit from the work they did – unlike musicians who receive royalties, for them the Internet zone would be closed.

After a series of protests and articles, as well as parliamentary interventions by MPs from the Razem party, we managed to convince Bartłomiej Sienkiewicz to change – Internet royalties will be guaranteed in the new law.

However, Internet royalties are for creators!

This is the best proof that pressure makes sense. In recent weeks, Internet creators have been raising alarm that the amendment to the Copyright Act suddenly and quietly removed the subsection on royalties from the Internet. Unofficially, it was said that this was the result of behind-the-scenes conversations between politicians and representatives of large streaming companies, which would have to share their profits with the creators. Officially, no one said why the Internet, which was included in the project, suddenly disappeared from the amendment.

However, on the last day of February, there was a breakthrough in the approach of the Ministry of Culture, which issued a statement:

We are aware of changes in technology and viewing habits. After public consultations, we are introducing royalties for Internet creators into the act. We want to create predictable and transparent conditions for the development of the audiovisual market in Poland – wrote the minister’s announcement.

The details were revealed by MPs from the Razem party, who intervened in this matter. “Prepared and agreed with organizations from the film industry, they suddenly “disappeared” from the draft bill, which is an implementation of the EU copyright directive. And it was these provisions that allowed Polish creators to obtain royalties from large streaming platforms. Razem MPs in response to appeals of the Young Section of the Association of Polish Filmmakers, the Association of Polish Filmmakers, the trade union of Polish Actors and other organizations intervened in this matter, convincing the Ministry to adopt solutions that are good for filmmakers. We congratulate the filmmakers on their effectiveness, and we hope that this is a good prognosis for the future, because We have more issues to deal with: the act on the artist’s profession (and insurance for artists), the book act, better wages for those working in culture – said the Razem party.

It is not known what exactly the regulations regarding “internet royalties” will look like. Only in a few days will we find out whether the minister agreed to the demands of the creators proposing 1.5%. revenues from streaming platforms present in Poland.

What’s the deal with royalties?

Internet royalties are an extension of the right already in force in Poland to a small part of the income from the dissemination of a cultural work. A musician receives royalties for playing his music on the radio, an author – for each book sold, filmmakers – for each cinema ticket. For a long time, the Internet remained a gray and completely unregulated zone, but in recent years, especially during the pandemic, it has gained a lot of importance, pushing television and cinemas to the fore.

When their films are shown on streaming services, they don’t get anything out of it. And yet we all know that such platforms are becoming more and more popular – raise your hand to anyone who didn’t stay up all night watching a series on a computer during the pandemic – says director Katarzyna Warzecha in an interview with Marta Nowak for Gazeta.pl.

Without legal regulations regarding streaming platforms, Poland would be the only country in Europe that does not support its creators in this respect.