Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/39968
FOR MEMBERS SAG FOREIGN ROYALTIES DISTRIBUTION SURPASSES $11 MILLION of foreign royalties and, this past July, it passed the $11 million mark. Foreign royalties are collected as I a result of laws in various countries, which were adopted in the 1980s. Those laws provide for payments to artists in audiovisual works to compensate for private copying (home taping), cable retransmissions, video rentals and other uses of such works. Aſter resolving a dispute with the motion picture studios, which were claiming that foreign royalties should be paid entirely to the studios rather than actors, Screen Actors Guild has entered into cooperation agreements with collecting societies in certain foreign countries that collect these royalties. The societies allocate a portion of the royalties collected to SAG performers who appear in audiovisual productions that are subject to remuneration under the local laws. In January 2011, Screen Actors Guild launched the Foreign Royalties Tracker, an online search tool that gives members n October 2007, Screen Actors Guild began making regular distribution the ability to log in and see a full-view report of any foreign royalties that may have been collected on their behalf. Not all members receive foreign royalties, and the names of those who don't do not appear in the Foreign Royalties Tracker. Those members who do have foreign royalties or who wish to find out if they do, should log in to their member account at SAG.org. Members who don't yet have an online account can register by clicking Registration on the top right hand section of the SAG.org home page, or do a preliminary guest name search, which reflects whether the Guild has received any royalties on their behalf. "If it weren't for SAG's extensive efforts to collect and distribute foreign royalties, more than $11 million would have been lost forever instead of being in the pockets of our members. We are justifiably proud of those efforts, and remain committed to ensuring members receive their funds as quickly and efficiently as possible," said SAG Deputy National Executive Director and General Counsel Duncan Crabtree- Ireland. Many members recently received notice of the settlement of a class- action lawsuit that claimed that the Guild's process and procedure for handling foreign royalties was flawed. Even though the Guild was and remains confident that the court would have ultimately found its process and procedures to be completely proper, it settled the case in order to conserve members' resources that would otherwise have been spent on litigation. Under the settlement, the Guild continues its process of collecting foreign royalties to which its members and represented performers are entitled, and distributes those sums to them when they equal or exceed $10. Members who want to check the status of their foreign royalties or request a check prior to reaching the $10 threshold can do so BY THE NUMBERS Amount Distributed to Date $11,250,000 Number of Checks Mailed 336,000 Number of Members Who Have Received Foreign Royalties Disbursements 81,000 Track your foreign royalties at SAG.org/content/foreign-royalties. online through the Foreign Royalties Tracker. Additional information on the settlement can be found at SAG.org/notice. Foreign royalties are not subject to pension and health contributions and will not be considered for plan eligibility purposes, and also are not included in or subject to member dues. The costs of this collection and distribution program are covered by an administrative fee (presently 10 percent) taken from the lump-sum payments provided by the foreign collecting societies, along with interest that accrues during the collection and distribution process. The administrative fee is adjusted periodically to ensure that only such amounts as are needed to defray the costs of the program are deducted. LET'S HEAR IT FOR YOUR AGENT: If you're represented by a terrific, franchised agent that you believe could use some recognition, your agent could be SAG's next Agent of the Month! Send an email to agentquestion@sag.org telling us why your agent deserves some love. 16 SCREEN ACTOR - Summer 2011 SAG.org