Literar-Mechana

Literar-Mechana Wahrnehmungsgesellschaft für Urheberrechte Ges. m. b. H. is an Austrian copyright collecting society (Verwertungsgesellschaft) that collectively administers and enforces copyright, participation and remuneration claims for linguistic works and music scores. It is headquartered in Vienna and operates as a non-profit trust for rights holders. The society was founded in 1959, following the 1936 legal framework that had created the state-approved cooperative Literarische Verwertungsgesellschaft (L.V.G.). Because the L.V.G. could not collectively administer mechanical reproduction rights, Literar-Mechana was established specifically to handle those rights. The two societies were always managed jointly from a common business address, and on 31 December 2006 they were merged under the Literar-Mechana umbrella. Literar-Mechana was founded jointly by authors and publishers to collectively administer mechanical reproduction rights in written works. It acts as trustee for rights holders and collects fees for the exploitation of ancillary copyrights. After deducting its administrative costs, it passes royalties in full to its beneficiaries according to distribution rules. Beneficiaries include authors such as writers, screenwriters, journalists, academic authors and translators, as well as their legal successors and publishers. It currently represents around 14,000 beneficiaries. Membership is open to any author or publisher who is an Austrian citizen or has their ordinary residence or registered office in Austria; nationals of EU and EEA states are treated as equivalent to Austrian citizens. Through reciprocal contracts with sister societies, beneficiaries are also represented abroad, and foreign repertoire is represented in Austria. Reciprocal contracts currently exist with Germany, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy, Spain, Denmark, Norway, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States. Literar-Mechana is not profit-oriented and deducts only its incurred administrative costs (for collection, recording, documentation and distribution) from licensing revenue. It advocates for modern copyright and concludes collective and framework agreements with umbrella organisations and individual contracts with work users. Royalties are generated in the areas of radio and television, sound and audiovisual media, literary readings, library royalties, reprography remuneration and school books. The society is controlled by bodies composed of authors and publishers (general assembly and supervisory board), by the supervisory authority for collecting societies, by the Vienna Higher Regional Court as cartel court, and by an independent auditor as annual auditor. Literar-Mechana also administers social and cultural institutions (SKE) funded from royalty income. These support beneficiaries and their relatives in social emergencies, provide old-age pensions as well as subsidies for health insurance and long-term care, and award work scholarships to creators in the field of linguistic works (Jubilee Fund, dramatist and screenwriting scholarships) and promote projects related to the use of literature, for example by covering authors' reading fees. It also administers a social fund for Austrian writers and translators funded by the BMUKK (Arts Section), supporting needy authors and publishers through one-off payments for acute emergencies or recurring payments for old-age, disability and survivors' provision and health insurance contributions.

The legal prerequisites for founding a literary collecting society were created in 1936. This led to the establishment of the state-approved cooperative Literarische Verwertungsgesellschaft (L.V.G.) reg. Gen. m. b. H., which was to administer broadcasting and lecture rights of authors and publishers in trust. However, due to legal restrictions, the L.V.G. could not collectively administer the mechanical reproduction rights of authors and publishers. Therefore, Literar-Mechana was founded in 1959. However, the two societies were always managed under unified leadership from a common business address. As of 31 December 2006, both societies were merged under the umbrella of Literar-Mechana.

• 2006

  On 31 December, L.V.G. and Literar-Mechana merged under the Literar-Mechana umbrella.

• 1959

  Literar-Mechana founded to collectively administer mechanical reproduction rights.

• 1936

  Legal prerequisites for a literary collecting society created; Literarische Verwertungsgesellschaft (L.V.G.) founded.

Non-profit copyright collecting society acting as trustee for authors and publishers, advocating for modern copyright.

• Collective management of mechanical reproduction rights

• Licensing for radio and television

• Licensing for sound and audiovisual media

• Literary readings licensing

• Library royalties

• Reprography remuneration

• School book licensing

1. 1Literar-Mechana - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2Literar-Mechana - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org
3. 3Official websiteliterar.at