Licensing bodies and collective management organisations
Licensing bodies and collective management organisations can agree licences with users on behalf of owners and collect any royalties the owners are owed.
Overview
If you would like to use copyright material, you usually need to get permission from the rights holder to do so. Sometimes this can be obtained directly from the rights holder, but more often it is granted in the form of a licence from a licensing body. A licensing body is a broad term used to describe any organisation which administers the rights of many copyright owners, offers licences for the use of copyright work, and distributes licence fees to those who own rights in creative work.
What is a collective management organisation
A Collective Management Organisation (CMO) is a type of licensing body which grants rights on behalf of multiple rights holders in a single (‘blanket’) licence. Generally speaking, rights holders will join a CMO as members and instruct it to license rights on their behalf. The CMO charges a fee for the licence, from which it deducts an administrative charge before distributing the remainder as royalties. They are typically not for profit organisations and are owned and controlled by their members, the rights holders.
What is an Independent Management Entity?
An Independent Management Entity (IME) is a type of licensing body which grants rights on behalf of more than one right holder, for the collective benefit of those right holders, as its sole or main purpose and which is (i) neither owned nor controlled, directly or indirectly, wholly or in part, by right holders and (ii) organised on a for profit basis. IMEs are active in the music and audiovisual sectors alongside CMOs.
How are collective management organisations and independent management entities regulated
Aspects of the conduct and governance of UK CMOs and IMEs are regulated by the Collective Management of Copyright (EU Directive) Regulations 2016 (‘the CRM Regulations’). The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) is responsible for monitoring compliance with the Regulations and publishes an annual review. For more information, see how the IPO regulates licensing bodies.
Getting a licence
You can apply for a licence to get permission to use copyright protected works. Copyright works can come in different forms, for example books, newspapers, pictures, or music. The CMOs, IMEs and other licensing bodies by sector (see Endnote) are listed below:
1. Literary works
*Authors Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS)
ALCS distributes the licensing royalties to members received from the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), Educational Recording Agency (ERA), and the Audiovisual Licensing Alliance (AVLA)
**Christian Copyright Licensing International (CCLI)
CCLI licenses the reproduction and copying of lyrics and printed music for copyrighted worship songs and hymns and acts as church agents for Christian Video Licensing International (CVLI), Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL), PRS for Music, and the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)
*Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA)
CLA licenses on behalf of Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS), the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), the Design and Artists Collecting Society (DACS) and the Picture Industry Collecting Society for Effective Licensing (PICSEL)
***Printed Music Licensing Ltd (PMLL)
PMLL licences the reproduction of printed music
*Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS)
PLS collects and distributes licensing royalties to publishers received from the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and NLA Media Access (NLA)
2. Artistic works and images
*Artists Collecting Society (ACS)
ACS licenses visual artists’ works and collects and distributes Artist’s Resale Right royalties for its members
*Design and Artists’ Copyright Society (DACS)
DACS collects and distributes copyright and Artist’s Resale Right royalties for visual artists and distributes licensing royalties received from the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), the Educational Recording Agency (ERA), and the Audiovisual Licensing Alliance (AVLA)
*Picture Industry Collecting Society for Effective Licensing (PICSEL)
PICSEL licenses visual artists’ works and distributes licensing royalties received from the Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA), Educational Recording Agency (ERA) and Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS)
3. Audiovisual works
*Audiovisual Licensing Alliance (AVLA)
AVLA licenses the public showing of television programmes and films
*British Equity Collecting Society (BECS)
BECS collects and distributes licensing royalties for performers’ audiovisual rights
*Directors UK
Directors UK collects and distributes licensing royalties for screen directors
**Filmbank
Filmbank licenses the public showing of films
**Motion Picture Licensing Company (MPLC)
MPLC licenses the public showing of television programmes and films
4. Music
*Eos (The Broadcasting Rights Agency)
Eos collects and distributes broadcasting royalties to its members in the music industry in Wales
***Independent Music Publishers’ E-Licensing (IMPEL)
IMPEL licenses mechanical rights in music
***The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS)
MCPS collects and distributes mechanical (or reproduction) royalties on behalf of its members. PRS for Music deliver rights management and administrative services to MCPS
*Music and Entertainment Rights Licensing Independent Network (MERLIN)
MERLIN licenses industry recorded music rights
*Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL)
PPL licenses the rights of record producers and performers, including through PPL PRS Ltd
*PPL PRS Ltd (TheMusicLicence)
PPL PRS Ltd licenses on behalf of PRS for Music and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) when music is played in public
*PRS for Music
PRS for Music licenses the rights of songwriters, composers, and music publishers, including through PPL PRS Ltd
*RadioPro Ltd
RadioPro distributes royalty income received for their members’ music
**Soundreef Ltd
Soundreef licenses on behalf of songwriters and music publishers
5. Print and digital materials
*NLA Media Access
NLA Media Access licences the reproduction of published newspaper, magazine or news website articles, either in print or online
6. Recording of television programmes by educational institutions
*Educational Recording Agency (ERA)
ERA licenses television and radio broadcasts for use in schools, and the Further and Higher Education sectors
7. Endnote
*Collective Management Organisation (CMO)
** Independent Management Entity (IME)
*** Other Licensing Body
Copyright Tribunal
If you are unhappy about the price or terms and conditions of a licence, you may be able to take the matter to the Copyright Tribunal, which adjudicates on the reasonableness of the price of a licence and its terms and conditions.
Updates to this page
Last updated 23 January 2024 + show all updates
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The PRS for Music and Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) section has been amended.
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New section 'Audiovisual' added.
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Music and Entertainment Rights Licensing Independent Network (MERLIN) added.
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The IPO's online guidance has been amended to replace references to EU Directives and Regulations with applicable UK legislation.
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New entry CreaCollect added.
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Information added on RadioPro.
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Publishing Licensing Society has changed it's name to Publishers' Licensing Services.
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Memorandum of understanding added.
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Picture Industry Collecting Society for Effective Licensing added.
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Independent Music Publishers’ E-Licensing (IMPEL) and The Mechanical Copyright Protection Society (MCPS) added.
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First published.