Collection and distribution

SSA collects remuneration for the usage of works from the users and passes it on to authors and rights owners. The payout of remuneration is usually based on the actual usage of the individual works. The type of work usage as well as the bases of calculation are shown in detail on the distribution statements.

Users often notify SSA about their work usages without being prompted to do so or because of contractual obligations. SSA, however, uses various means to monitor the exploitation of works as well.

Broadcasting rights

SSA periodically negotiates the price for the exploitation of its repertoire with the radio and TV stations and subsequently issues an invoice to them. The total income thus collected is distributed among the authors in line with the broadcast duration of the individual works, with minute-based tariffs being applied. The latter depend on the work category as well as criteria such as time of broadcast, initial broadcast (premiere) or repetitions, 1st or 2nd broadcasting group etc. The distribution is made monthly based on a provisional tariff and shall be complemented, if applicable, via a later allocation once the definitive numbers are available.

Stage performing rights

Remuneration for performing rights is collected for each work per series of performances and directly credited to the author. A proportional share of the income from ticket sales or a minimum amount per available seat forms the basis for the calculation (in the case of guest performances and tour performances a percentage of the sales price of the performance). School theatres and professional ensembles’ performances at schools are subject to specific conditions.

Making available

Royalties for making available are subject to collection and distribution regimes as diverse as this form of use. The most common example is video-on-demand.

Reproduction

Remuneration for reproduction and distribution of work copies (sound and audiovisual recordings with content) is collected from the respective publishers.

Mandatory collective management rights

The five Swiss collective management organisations (SSA, SUISSIMAGE, SUISA, ProLitteris, Swissperform) jointly negotiate a common tariff with the respective users’ umbrella organisations for each sector and determine a collective management organisation among themselves as the agency for collection in each case. The remuneration thus collected is split according to the respective repertoire shares among the collective management organisations; they pass it on to their members in question. Distributions are made annually. SSA is the company in charge of joint tariff 14 for the new remuneration right for video-on-demand.

Internet, social networks and mobile devices

The use of the internet and social networks, as well as mobile devices, can take many different forms, regulated by specific conditions.
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Collections abroad

SSA has concluded contracts on reciprocal representation with the majority of foreign authors’ rights organisations which are active in the same sector. Each society collects remuneration according to its own tariffs in its territory and transfers them to the respective sister society. In some cases, particularly regarding stage performances, SSA can act directly in such countries or areas where it does not have any representation.

Rights in publishing contracts on translated stage works

SSA manages the rights of its members for publishing contracts on translated stage works and represents them vis-à-vis the publishers. The members of the cooperative submit their contracts to SSA before they sign them. The remuneration owed by the publisher are paid via SSA, who also monitors whether the contractual obligations are observed.

SSA deductions

Of the rights remuneration collected, SSA retains a share varying depending on the kind of usage in order to finance its expenditure (average 2022: 10.41%) and to subsidise cultural and social funds.