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The core function of an RRO such as DALRO is to grant licences for the reproduction of extracts from copyright-protected published works for internal use within an educational institution, or an organisation, or a company. In this way, multiple copies may be made, legally, and against payment of a small fee which is channelled back to the rights’ holders. Licensing offers access to printed information (in multiple copies) when the whole work is not required, and it thus provides the balance between copyright owners’ economic interests and the informational requirements of consumers.
There is currently functioning RROs in almost 50 countries of the world. Under the system known as the collective administration of rights, authors and publishers have come together and mandated RROs to offer solutions to the problems of mass unauthorised copying by giving users easy and cheap access to the necessary materials and at the same time securing some payment for themselves.
Copying takes place everywhere, represents a massive use of published materials and, if unregulated, threatens the livelihood of authors and publishers.
Worldwide, reprographic reproduction (or photocopying) is licensed by RROs in one of two ways: - A Transactional Licence
- A Blanket Licence
Which type of licence is best for a potential licensee will depend on its needs and resources. The blanket licence affords far greater flexibility and is administratively simpler. Not only does it allow relatively unencumbered reproduction, but it also indemnifies the licensee against prosecution by rights’ holders by shifting the burden of defending or settling any copyright claim by a third party from the licensee to the RRO, provided that the licensee had not exceeded the extent of the rights granted under the blanket licence.
Any institution, organisation or business concern needing to make photocopies in multiples should contact DALRO for details of which method of licensing is best suited to their needs.
After deducting an administrative fee, DALRO distributes royalties to the authors and publishers whose works have been copied; thereby providing rights’ holders with an alternative revenue stream for the legitimate use of their Intellectual Property.
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