Repartition in the field of reprographics – experiences of KOPIPOL Association

Abstract

In response to the phenomenon of a dynamic development of a reprographic technique of copying works, the Act on Copyright and Related Rights of 1994 introduced relevant fees to the Polish legal order. Their aim was to compensate the losses incurred as a result of copying copyrighted works using this technique. The collection of reprographic fees, of which half of the collected sum
is due to authors, has been entrusted to the Association of Copyright Collective Administration for Authors of Scientific and Technical Works KOPIPOL, created in 1995. The duties of KOPIPOL include not only the collection of those fees, but also their allocation and distribution among authors of scientific and technical works.

The collection turned out to be complicated, expensive and time-consuming, mainly because of constant attempts to avoiding paying the fees. As a result, KOPIPOL is forced to seek enforcement of due payments by way of numerous judicial proceedings. Funds collected in fees are first of all allocated to collective management organisations representing different categories of creativity, which according to statistical surveys undergo reprographic copying, and next to the authors of scientific and technical works. As part of the latter, called Individual Repartition, sums are paid out to authors identified by names and surnames.

The effectiveness of these activities is systematically increasing. So far KOPIPOL has paid remunerations to 2 375 authors, for a total exceeding 2 million zlotys.