SAA - Society of Audiovisual Authors

Seven years of waiting

AZAS is a non-profit association for the collective management of copyright and related rights for films and audiovisual works. It has 100 members, including authors, performers, and a small number of producers. Despite holding a licence since 2018, AZAS is not yet operational as the government has not yet approved its tariffs - a necessity for AZAS to collect payments from users. Initially, the government required a commission to deliver an opinion. This process has been completed, yet the tariffs remain unsigned.

The loss is staggering: an estimated €26 million in unpaid royalties between 2019 and 2024, 40% of which should reach authors, including those outside North Macedonia. Even authors whose films have been nominated for Oscars do not receive royalties. These figures are based on the proposed tariffs and official data. "Even if the calculated figure were significantly reduced, the financial damage to authors would remain substantial" said Kiril Gjozev, AZAS Secretary General.

Kiril Gjozev is AZAS Secretary General. Having worked in production and distribution companies in Skopje, he realised early on that even award-winning films struggle to reach audiences, as cinema operators favour US productions over European films.

"It's an infrastructure issue across the whole of the Balkans," he explained. "We're missing the government’s strategy and action plan. The issue is larger than just the audiovisual sector. Culture is always the last priority, but the first thing to be cut when solving other problems."

Meeting Gregor Stibernik, AIPA Director in Slovenia, who pointed out that authors did not have a collective management organisation in North Macedonia, motivated Kiril to develop AZAS. It has been years of unpaid work. When I asked him what keeps him going, he said that other countries in the region have managed it, and he wants North Macedonia to prove that they can too. "If I don't do it, it will never happen."

AZAS is not yet collecting, but that does not mean it is inactive. In fact, AZAS has been advocating for authors' rights since its establishment. AZAS has sought advice from regional colleagues and international support from the SAA. It has reached out to policymakers and attended film festivals to raise awareness among the creative community and build connections. AZAS has also provided policymakers with a publication on copyright and collective management, and it has signed bilateral agreements with several CMOs in the region.

The Skopje seminar and its aftermath

Last November, the SAA co-organised a regional seminar in Skopje with its members, AIPA (Slovenia) and ZAPA (Poland), in partnership with AZAS. The event brought together CMOs, audiovisual authors and industry stakeholders from Central and Eastern Europe to discuss copyright infrastructure and fair remuneration challenges. The seminar concluded with the Skopje Call, urging governments in the Western Balkans to implement fair copyright frameworks and approve the CMO tariffs in North Macedonia. Since then, letters have been sent to the North Macedonian Prime Minister and the President of Parliament, as well as to the EU and some countries’ ambassadors. SAA Secretary General Cécile Despringre was interviewed by national television and met with Afrim Gashi, the President of the North Macedonian Assembly.

So, what is blocking progress?

Over the past year, Kiril was invited twice to present the long-standing tariff issue before the Government’s collegium, where he clearly outlined the legal obligations and the reasons why the AZAS tariff must be placed on the agenda. Following these presentations, the collegium concluded that further internal consultations were needed among the relevant ministries. After more than a year with no progress, AZAS has now been told that, due to the absence of the requested follow-up information, the topic has been removed from the collegium’s agenda. This setback signals that the institutional process remains incomplete, and that greater political understanding and coordination are still necessary to resolve an issue that has been pending for so many years.

In 2022, the EU opened accession negotiations with North Macedonia. I asked whether the prospect of joining the EU was not an incentive enough for the government to approve the tariffs. "One would think," said Kiril, explaining that to proceed, the country would need to change its constitution, something that the current government does not want to do as it is presented and expected. It is a standstill.

Having worked with Kiril on our regional seminar in Skopje, I have seen first-hand his dedication and patience. He is always smiling and polite - even when describing years of bureaucratic obstruction. That persistence, in the face of such resistance, is impressive.

All options exhausted?

AZAS has approached the national authorities in a diplomatic and constructive manner. Organisations such as SAA, AIPA and ZAPA have co-financed seminars in Skopje and sent numerous letters. Yet year after year, nothing happens. The government has responded with ignorance and a lack of political will.

AZAS has been encouraged to take the government to court. "The government is playing a dirty game," said Kiril. However, AZAS lacks the financial capability to pay for lawyers, and if they went down that road, they would likely lose their licence. It might be more effective if other collective management organisations in the region took North Macedonia to court. For example, despite a large catalogue of Serbian content in North Macedonia, and a UFUS-AFA bilateral agreement with AZAS, Serbian authors receive no remuneration. Kiril added, that North Macedonia has had interesting legal cases in other areas in the past, which resulted in the government paying.

“Asking for remunerate for North Macedonian authors is not a bad thing. How could it be? It supports  the local culture and economy and strengthens ties between countries and people."

I ended our conversation by asking Kiril what he wished for in the new year.

"I would like an invitation from the government to conclude the process, and for them to approve the tariffs, so that we can finally start negotiating with the users. Becoming operational would finally also fulfil the requirement to apply for SAA membership. We no longer want to be an SAA observer - we want to actively participate in the SAA community."

Annica Ryng

Public Affairs and Communication Director, SAA