16.11.10 - Claiming US Royalties via the ASCAP Awards
SUISA members whose works were performed or broadcast in the USA between 1 October 2009 and 30 September 2010 are encouraged to participate in the ASCAP International Awards Program.
Very few SUISA members receive royalty payments from the USA. This is because of the American spot-check system: to keep collection costs as low as possible, US societies only account for larger events, neglecting smaller ones. Moreover, they distribute nearly all the royalties collected to a small number of statistically selected broadcasts.
Every year, ASCAP, the American copyright society, invites the members of its foreign sister societies to participate in the ASCAP International Awards Program, which is designed to enable non American authors to assert their royalty claims. All SUISA members whose works were performed or broadcast in the USA between 1 October 2009 and 30 September 2010 are eligible to participate in the Program.
Neither publishers nor the heirs of deceased members are entitled to royalties. Nor are members who have already received $ 25,000 or more from ASCAP for the same period.
Members who have claims against ASCAP may obtain a participation form from SUISA’s Authors’ Dept.: authors@who-needs-spam.suisa.ch. The forms must be returned duly completed by 31 December 2010.
