BILD-KUNST  is a collecting society providing copyright protection for artists, photographers and graphic designers in Germany.

For its members and for the members of foreign sister organisations BILD-KUNST protects copyrights in the visual arts which copyright holders are themselves unable to protect for practical or legal reasons.

Its functions are:

  • collection and distribution fo global copyright royalties
    (i.e. private copy royalties, press review royalties etc.)
  • licencing and implementation of individual rights
    (i.e. resale rights, reproduction rights of artists)
  • political and legal fortification of copyright protection
    (i.e. statements regarding legislation projects, conclusion of general contracts)

Both parties, copyright holders as well as users are benefitting herefrom. The copyrightholder because he himself often isn't able to defend his rights properly and the users because they can get required rights from one source.

BILD-KUNST serves the interests of three Professional Groups:

 

Professional Group I

members*

artists, book publishers

rights

resale royalty rights, reproduction rights, broadcasting rights,retransmission royalties, copying royalties

 

Professional Group II

members*

photographers, photo reporters, designers, caricaturists, press artists, picture agencies and book publishers

rights

library royalties, copying royalties, press review royalties, reading circle royalties

 

Professional Group III

members

directors, camera persons, editors, set designers, costume makers and film producers

rights

video player levy, blank tape levy, video rental levy, retransmission royalties

* Book publishers fall into Professional Groups I or II, depending on the focus of their publishing activity.

Membership and distribution of revenues

Membership in VG BILD-KUNST is attained by concluding a Copyright Administration Agreement transferring authority for protection of the rights in question to BILD-KUNST in its function as a royalty collecting society.

Money taken in is distributed in accordance with a scheme that is approved by the general assembly of members. They decide whether and to what extent funds received should be used for social welfare or cultural purposes.

BILD-KUNST retains percentages of revenues taken in to cover its administrative costs.
In the case of resales, reproduction and broadcasting royalties this amounts to 10 %. In the other areas the percentage is reestablished annually on the basis of costs incurred. In 2009 it amounted to an average of 5.88 %.