MEMBERS - ATSI

PROTECTING CULTURE
WHY SHOULD ARTISTS JOIN VISCOPY?
MEMBERSHIP
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
COPYRIGHT
PROTECTING COPYRIGHT IN YOUR ART

PROTECTING CULTURE

Our culture is one of the oldest living cultures in the world. Keeping our culture strong and protecting it is important.

VISCOPY can help you practice your culture by protecting your copyright and collecting copyright fees for you and your family.

VISCOPY represent the interests of over 2,300 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists, their heirs and communities. To ensure cultural integrity and service charter, VISCOPY has enshrined within its’ constitution, indigenous board representation, internal policy and the services of an Indigenous Visual Copyright Education Officer, a dedicated position servicing the requirements of our indigenous membership.

WHY SHOULD ARTISTS JOIN VISCOPY?

To ensure that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists receive the maximum financial return and recognition when their works are being reproduced and copied. VISCOPY negotiates all licences within Australia on behalf of its members. With reciprocal agreements in over 40 territories internationally, the artist is assured that whenever and wherever their work is licensed, a royalty for the use is returned to them

VISCOPY’s licensing procedures also remove much of the administrative burden from art centre co-ordinators and individual artists.

MEMBERSHIP

There are two types of membership, Full Membership and Statutory Membership (Secondary Rights).

Full membership provides VISCOPY and its international affiliates the right to act on an artists behalf in negotiating licensing agreements, monitors any 'rip offs', ensures that artists exercise their copyright and receive the best return on the reproduction of their artistic works.

It also covers “Secondary Rights”. Secondary, or Statutory Rights Membership allows VISCOPY to collect and distribute income collected under Government statutory licences held by educational and government institutions.

VISCOPY provide tailored agreements for indigenous art centres enabling those centres to register all of their members under one document. The majority of art centres follow this practice.

HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?

There are no annual or joining fees. Upon negotiating a reproduction licence on behalf of a member, VISCOPY charges an administration fee.

COPYRIGHT

Copyright is a major concern for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists. Protecting your copyright ensures that you protect your right to future income from the exploitation of your work by others.

Copyright is automatic in Australia, which means that as soon as you create a work it is protected under the Copyright Act. When you sell your art the painting or sculpture may belong to someone else but you keep the copyright in the work unless it is agreed otherwise. VISCOPY advises all our artists to never sell or give away your copyright.

It may sound difficult but there are a few things you can do to help.