Writers Services
(Rights Management) CLG

Writers Services is a new Collective Management Organisation, established to manage the rights of screenwriters and playwrights.
Get in touch
Writers Services ("WS") is a new Collective Management Organisation, established to manage the rights of screenwriters and playwrights who mandate them to do so.

It's Executive Committee is Jennifer Davidson (Chair), Carl Austin, Thomas McLaughlin.
The Company Secretary is David Kavanagh.

For further information, or to request a mandate form for joining, please email [email protected]

About us

We are establishing a Collective Management Organisation (CMO) to collect and distribute any monies which may be due to screenwriters or playwrights who mandate the organisation to collect such funds on their behalf.

Identifying such funds, entering into bilateral agreements with CMOs abroad to collect such monies or designing and implementing licensing schemes where appropriate, is the first task of WS and in consequence these administration rules may be varied when the scale and complexity of these tasks are established. Any such change will be communicated to screenwriters or playwrights who have mandated WS to collect or licence on their behalf in a timely manner.

In any event Writers Services (Rights Management) CLG (hereinafter “WS”) will operate in line with the requirements of the Companies Act 2014 and any amendments to it, the Copyright and Related Rights Act 2002 and Statutory Instrument No.156 of 2016 European Union (Collective Rights Management) (Directive 2014/26/EU) Regulations 2016 (hereinafter “Regulations”).
Back to top

Administration rules

Writers Services (WS) is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered under part 18 of the Companies Act (company registration 4429019).

Its executive committee is appointed in line with its constitution. The Executive Committee is responsible for the establishment of policy and for overseeing management of WS, reporting to the Directors and the Annual General Meeting. Its Company Secretary is responsible for the usual tasks of a company secretary under the Companies Act of 2014 and for certain administrative activities of the WS as instructed by the Executive Committee.

Given that the CMO works exclusively with screenwriters or playwrights the likelihood of conflicts of interest is low. However Executive Committee members and the Company Secretary (and any eventual staff) are instructed to pay careful attention to the prospect of any conflicts of interest and to identify those should they occur, to address them where possible to bring any such issues to the attention to the Annual General Meeting.

Each of the persons responsible for managing the CMO will present an annual individual statement to the General Meeting of members, providing information as required by 8 (3) of the Regulations.

The Executive Committee, appointed by the Annual General Meeting, is tasked with exercising the Supervisory Function in line with the provision of Article 7of the Regulations.

WS will maintain separate Bank Accounts for administrative expenditure and for funds for distribution to rights-holders.
WS receives legal advice from:

Linda Scales + Associates Solicitors
Castleview House
22 Sandymount Green
Dublin 4
Its accountants are:

Nolan & Associates
Suite 302 – 304
The Capel Building
Mary’s Abbey
Dublin 7
Its bank is:

AIB Bank
126/128 Capel St
Dublin
D01 VW89
WS will apply for membership of CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) and of SAA (Society of Audio-visual Authors).
Back to top

Membership rules

In order to licence works or to enter into bilateral or representation agreements with other CMOs internationally we have to have a mandate from each individual screenwriter or playwright. A mandate form is available from the email address. The mandate lists the rights we propose to licence and/or manage, asks for a list of credits and any information on their distribution. It is important to point that that each screenwriter or playwright has the right to specify which rights they wish to have managed and for which territories and also to withdraw from the CMO and to have their rights managed by a CMO of their choice, in line with the procedures specified in the Regulations.

Screenwriters or playwrights who mandate WS to manage their rights continue to have the right to grant non-commercial licences in respect of those rights.

Information provided in the mandate necessary for other CMOs to identify works for which payment may be due may be provided to them by WS.
Back to top

Distribution policy

Funds collected on behalf of screenwriter or playwrights will be distributed annually at first, but the frequency of distributions may be increased if significant funds are collected. Distribution of funds will be accompanied by an explanation of the source of the funds and such other information as required by the Regulations.

To cover the costs of the administration of the CMO 15% of the amounts collected will be retained. This will comprise 12.5% for administration costs and 2.5% towards the creation of a Cultural Fund which will be used for activities beneficial to screenwriter or playwrights in accordance with policy decided by the Annual General Meeting of Writers Services.

Funds which we receive, where we do not know the identity of the screenwriter or playwrights involved, will be handled in line with the Regulations which requires diligent search, retention of the funds in a separate account, and their eventual use in line with policy established by the Board of the CMO, provided that the screenwriter or playwrights later identified, can always claim what is due to them.

Screenwriter or playwrights who mandate WS to manage their rights will receive at least once a year a statement from WS which shall include their contact information, the amount of revenue attributed to them, the amount in respect of each type of right managed and for each type of use, the period involved, whether any amount is outstanding, deductions made and for what purpose.
Back to top

Further information, transparency and complaints

WS will respond to all enquires received by email within ten working days.

Screenwriter or playwrights who mandate WS to manage their rights will receive at least once a year a statement from WS which shall include their contact information, the amount of revenue attributed to them, the amount in respect of each type of right managed and for each type of use, the period involved, whether any amount is outstanding, deductions made and for what purpose.

Additionally an annual Transparency Report will be published and made available to screenwriter or playwrights who have mandated WS to manage their rights and published online..

During the establishment period of the CMO WS may send occasional newsletters.

Should a screenwriter or playwright who has mandated WS wish to make a more formal complaint they are invited to do so by email indicating that the communication is intended as a compliant. On receipt of an email intended as a complaint a member of the Executive Committee will be given a copy of the correspondence, a response made available within ten working days which will have been seen by the Executive Committee member before sending.
Back to top