Suissimage

Suissimage (Schweizerische Genossenschaft für Urheberrechte an audiovisuellen Werken) is a Swiss cooperative society that manages copyrights in audiovisual works. It functions as a collective management organisation (CMO) or copyright collecting society, representing authors, producers, and other rights holders in the audiovisual sector. Its official website describes it as the Swiss cooperative for copyrights in audiovisual works, and its activities include collecting and distributing remuneration for the use of audiovisual works, both domestically and from abroad. The organisation is based in Switzerland and operates primarily in the Swiss market. It is a cooperative (Genossenschaft), meaning it is owned and governed by its members, who are filmmakers, authors, and other rights holders. Suissimage administers rights related to the broadcasting, retransmission, and other uses of audiovisual works. It also engages in cultural funding through its Kulturfonds (cultural fund), which supports film projects and awards, such as the BEST SWISS Award at the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival. Suissimage's activities include the distribution of remuneration collected from foreign countries, as evidenced by its regular announcements of payments from a wide range of nations. It also provides services to its members, such as control lists of broadcasts to ensure accurate remuneration. The organisation holds informational events for new members and maintains a history page documenting its development. As a collective management organisation, Suissimage plays a key role in the Swiss audiovisual ecosystem, ensuring that creators and rights holders receive fair compensation for the use of their works. It collaborates with sister societies abroad and with other Swiss rights management organisations such as the Société Suisse des Auteurs (SSA). This dossier is based on the official website and Wikidata entry. Further details about its founding year, exact headquarters location, and governance structure are not provided in the available evidence.

Suissimage is the Swiss cooperative for copyrights in audiovisual works. Its history page on the official website references a 2017 documentary by Sabine Gisiger and Werner Swiss Schweizer titled 'Was Sie schon immer über die Geschichte der Suissimage wissen wollten… ein Film in 8 Fragen.' (What you always wanted to know about the history of Suissimage… a film in 8 questions). This indicates that the organisation has a documented history and has been active for a significant period, though the exact founding year is not provided in the available evidence. As a collective management organisation, Suissimage has evolved to represent the interests of filmmakers and rights holders in Switzerland. It collects remuneration for the use of audiovisual works, both from domestic broadcasters and from foreign sister societies. Over time, it has expanded its international network, as evidenced by the regular distribution of foreign remuneration from a wide range of countries. Suissimage also operates a cultural fund (Kulturfonds) that supports film projects and awards, such as the BEST SWISS Award at the Fantoche International Animation Film Festival. This fund is part of its commitment to promoting Swiss film culture. The organisation holds informational events for new members every two years, providing insights into its operations. It also maintains control lists of broadcasts to ensure accurate remuneration for its members. While the exact founding date and early history are not detailed in the available sources, Suissimage's current activities and its 2017 documentary suggest a long-standing presence in the Swiss audiovisual landscape.

• 2026

  BEST SWISS 2026 award, endowed with CHF 10,000, awarded at Fantoche International Animation Film Festival.

• 2017

  Documentary 'Was Sie schon immer über die Geschichte der Suissimage wissen wollten… ein Film in 8 Fragen.' by Sabine Gisiger and Werner Swiss Schweizer released.

Swiss collective management organisation for audiovisual copyrights, member-owned cooperative.

• Copyright collective management

  Management of copyrights in audiovisual works on behalf of authors, producers, and other rights holders.

• Remuneration collection and distribution

  Collection of remuneration from domestic and foreign sources and distribution to members.

• Kulturfonds

  Cultural fund supporting film projects and awards, such as the BEST SWISS Award.

1. 1Suissimage | Schweizerische Genossenschaft für Urheberrechte an audiovisuellen Werkensuissimage.ch
2. 2Geschichte | Suissimagesuissimage.ch
3. 3Suissimagewikidata.org