27-01-2022

Record Year for ZAPA – Polish Union of Audiovisual Authors and Producers

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    WARSAW: ZAPA (Polish Union of Audiovisual Authors and Producers), managed by the Polish Filmmakers Association, secured a record amount of 36 m EUR /166 m PLN of the total royalties paid to authors and producers in 2021.

    ZAPA was fully operational and worked without any restrictions in the second year of the pandemic. The authors and producers in the Union got paid the highest amount of royalties in the history of the organisation, totaling 36 m EUR / PLN 166 m.

    SFP-ZAPA is one of the most effective collective management organisations in Poland. Since its inception, it has consistently strengthened its position on the copyright market in Poland, as well as its international position. It has negotiated and signed contracts with public and private users, cooperates with many domestic and foreign organisations, and monitors the dynamic market of cable operators. A fundamental element of SFP-ZAPA's activity is the proper identification of audiovisual works, allowing for quick payments of royalties due to authors and producers, as well as supporting the fight against piracy in the circulation of film works.

    Both the authors and producers were paid higher amounts than planned for 2021. This was due to, inter alia, high payouts in the field of broadcasting and rebroadcasting as well as extraordinary amounts for screenings in multi-screen cinemas, which SFP-ZAPA obtained for filmmakers after over 10 years of efforts, negotiations and court disputes with leading multiplexes. As the Union reports: the years 2011-2013 (Cinema City) as well as 2009-2017 (Helios) and 2010-2017 (Multikino) were settled first. In 2022, payouts and payments are planned for the subsequent years of screening films in Helios and Multikino cinemas (2018-2020) and the current payments for operating films in cinemas in 2021. The payments will still not include arrears from Cinema City, with which SFP- ZAPA is still in court disputes as to the remaining outstanding periods. It is worth noting, that for the first time SFP-ZAPA has received royalties from foreign VOD services, mainly from Netflix, for Polish creators.