ALCS Announces £10 million Distribution to UK Writers March 2006

The Authors’ Licensing & Collecting Society (ALCS) today announced that it is to distribute £10 million to some 40,000 of the nation’s writers at its biannual royalty pay out this month.

Writers will have received a total of £14 million in the 2005 – 06 financial year, representing a 12% increase in the total monies distributed compared to 2004-05.

The payments made by ALCS remunerate all types of writer for a range of secondary uses of their work and make a vital contribution to their economic well being.  With over 60% of UK writers earning less than half the national average wage*  from their writing, copyright is the essential safeguard of their livelihood and future creativity.   Writers’ earnings vary enormously from under £100 to several thousand, depending on the range of their work and how it is used.  However small or large their royalty payment it is none the less an important source of income. 

“Acknowledging writers and the contribution they make to our creative industries and burgeoning ‘knowledge economy’ has never been more important, says Jane Carr, CEO of ALCS.  “ All writers play a vital part in articulating ideas and developing understanding, educating and amusing and thus enabling society to develop.  The money writers earn from secondary rights is fair reward for their creativity and the valuable contribution they make. At ALCS we are working continuously to ensure that writers are recognised and rewarded for the role they play in the value chain;  an economic chain from which both business and the consumer benefits.”