Australian Directors Guild chief executive, Kingston Anderson.
The Australian Directors Guild has backed Australian scriptwriters after the Australian Writers Guild launched a legal action to claw back millions of dollars in royalties.
The multi-million-dollar case against the Federal Government authorised royalty collection agency, Screenrights, was filed in the Federal Court of Australia by the Australian Writers’ Guild on March 3.
A case management hearing has been set for April 5, with Justice Jane Jagot presiding.
ADG chief executive, Kingston Anderson, said scriptwriters, like many Australian directors, were being treated unfairly by Screenrights.
“The primary job of Screenrights is to collect and then distribute royalties to scriptwriters, directors and others in Australia’s film and TV industry," he said.
"It’s clear that for many years Screenrights has failed to fulfil this critical role.
He said scriptwriters, like film and TV directors, work hard for what is often very little money.
"So when we see a case where creators aren’t receiving what they rightfully should then it is important to stand up and offer the support we can,’’ he said
The AWG has issued a statement alleging that screenwriters have been deprived of royalties for more than two decades.
“Scriptwriters say that instead of protecting them, Screenrights may have misdirected possibly tens of millions of dollars in royalties that should have been paid to writers over the past two decades,” according to the AWG.
“Based on Screenrights' own figures, they appear to have collected over $50 million in script royalties over the past 20 years, yet AWG’s Australian members may have received as little as $350,000.”
The Australian Directors Guild is concerned that directors both here and overseas may have missed out on royalties as the Guild's collection society (ASDACS) members have received less than $2000 in the last ten years.
Screenrights was criticised by the international community last year for its practices which were considered contrary to Australia’s obligations under the United Nation’s Berne Convention.
Screenrights collected $45.9 million in licence revenue and other income for the film and television industries in 2014/15.
Screenrights was established in 1990 to administer provisions in the Australian Copyright Act that allow educational institutions to copy from television and radio, provided payment is made to the copyright owners.
Screenrights has offered to mediate the issues raised by AWG.
“We consider it unfortunate therefore that AWGACS has initiated litigation,” according to a Screenrights statement.
“Screenrights pays the appropriate rights holders in accordance to Australian law and will defend the claims.
“Screenrights continues to collect and pay royalties on behalf of its members.”