Campaigning

Clarity: Clear contracts, in written form, which transparently set out the exact scope of the rights granted / assigned / licensed and are timely and transparently negotiated.

Remuneration: Fair Remuneration. Equitable and unwaivable remuneration for each use / exploitation of work, to include ‘bestseller clauses’ so that if a work does far better than expected the creator shares in its success even if copyright was assigned.

Exploitation: An obligation of Exploitation for each mode of exploitation. Also known as the Use-it-or-Lose-it Clause. This is the French model.

Accounting: Fair, understandable and proper Accounting clauses.

Terms: Reasonable contract Terms (time limits) with regular reviews where appropriate to take into account new forms of exploitation; underpinned by a reversion right where appropriate.

Ownership: Authors, including illustrators and translators, should be appropriately credited (cf metadata and ‘accurately credited somewhere’) for every use of their work; the integrity of artistic works should be respected, and moral rights should be unwaivable.

Reasonable: All contracts should be subject to a general test of Reasonableness, including a list of defined clauses which are automatically deemed to be void, and a general safeguarding provision that any provision contrary to the requirement of good faith, causes a significant imbalance in the parties’ rights and obligations arising under the contract, to the detriment of the author, shall be regarded as unfair.