Last week on the 1709 Blog we
reported that the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) in the United Kingdom had commissioned a survey on authors' earnings, "What Are Words Worth Now? A Survey of Authors' Earnings", by Queen Mary, University London's Phillip Johnson, Johanna Gibson and Gaetano Dimita. The most recent ALCS News is now
promoting a further survey, this time on behalf of the European Commission, and also relating to authors' earnings -- particularly scriptwriters. Says the ALCS:
The European Commission has asked Europe Economics and the Institute for Information Law of the University of Amsterdam to undertake a study on the remuneration of authors and performers. The study will focus on audiovisual and musical works and is therefore of most relevance to scriptwriters.
The results are likely to influence future EU policy on the remuneration of scriptwriters so the survey gives writers in audiovisual fields the chance to have their say in this.
The survey can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/remuneration_survey2014
Please note that all responses will be confidential: neither Europe Economics, the Institute for Information Law of the University of Amsterdam nor the European Commission will be able to identify you.
The deadline set for the survey is 8 August 2014 but this may be extended.
If you are a scriptwriter, act for one or know one, do please encourage them to participate.
Frankly, this sounds futile.
ReplyDeleteIf Adele or Mick Jagger respond, the results will be totally skewed one way. Or if too many violists in semi-professional string quartets that play at most two or three weddings a year respond, the result will be skewed another way.
It is a waste of time to do these kinds of studies - because there's no way determining a meaningful sample of professional "artists".
It's even impossible to define a "professional" creator.
Besides, the questionnaire is woefully inadequate in this instance.
I hope that not too much time, money or hope will be wasted on this effort.