European officials and a variety of actors from across the audiovisual sector came together in Brussels on 29th November 2011 to look at what the digital revolution means for audiovisual authors like directors and screenwriters and came up with concrete ideas for how this revolution could be seized as an opportunity to finally link authors’ remuneration more directly to the success of their works.

European rightholders welcome the recent appointment of Mr Antonio Vitorino as the mediator in the dialogue on private copying remuneration.

The European Commission published its Green Paper on “Online Distribution of Audiovisual Works in the EU – opportunities and challenges towards a digital single market” on 13th July 2011.

The Society of Audiovisual Author’s (SAA’s) chairman of the board of directors Gerhard Pfennig, speaking at the CISAC World Copyright Summit on Wednesday 9th June 2011, offered an open hand of collaboration to Europe’s producers, in the organisation’s efforts to guarantee a digital market that remunerates filmmakers.

Some of Europe’s leading audiovisual creators and CEO’s of Europe’s audiovisual collective management societies presented the Society of Audiovisual Author’s (SAA’s) White Paper investigating the rights and remuneration of audiovisual authors in the digital age. The meeting was timely following the publication of the Commission’s communication on a Single Market for Intellectual Property Rights which confirmed that the subject will be treated in the forthcoming Commission Audiovisual Green Paper.

At a time when the European Commision is preparing its proposal for the next financial framework after 2013, the independence and the budget of the MEDIA programme, which supports the European audiovisual industry, are threatened.

White Paper to raise awareness of the legal and practical situation of audiovisual authors in Europe in terms of their rights and remuneration. New solutions are needed in the digital era.

Following the online consultation on boosting cultural heritage online in Europe organized by the European Commission at the end of the summer, the Reflection Group (Comité des Sages) whose three members Elisabeth Niggemann, Director general of the German National Library, Maurice Lévy, CEO of Publicis and Jacques De Decker, writer have been appointed by Commissioner Kroes and Vassiliou in April 2010 to make recommendations on ways and means to make Europe's cultural heritage and creativity available on

Authors of the SAA Board of Patrons and CEOs of SAA members met today Michel Barnier, the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services, in order to exchange views and explain the challenges that the audiovisual sector is faced with at the European level.

MEP Gallo’s report on enhancing the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the internal market has been adopted yesterday in the European Parliament plenary in Strasbourg by 328 in favour, 245 against.

The Society of Audiovisual Authors (SAA) along with nine other creators’ organisations issued a joint statement giving their full support to MEP Gallo’s report on enhancing the enforcement of intellectual property rights in the internal market.

In a letter addressed to the Members of the European Parliament the SAA Board of Patrons gave its full support to Marielle Gallo’s report on the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights in the Internal Market.