What changes for authors:
The COVID-19 law, which came into force on September 26, provides support for cultural workers, but with some important changes compared to the urgent measures last spring.
Emergency aid Suisseculture Sociale
The emergency aid to cultural workers will be extended. Authors who are in financial distress can submit an application to Suisseculture Sociale: https://nothilfe.suisseculturesociale.ch/de/
The submission deadline for the period October-December: December 20, 2020
EO for self-employed persons
The compensation for loss of earnings for self-employed persons will be continued.
Copyrights
Cultural companies: these can now generally claim financial damage (in contrast to last spring). Important: The copyright compensation must be listed in the list for the loss compensation claims. In general, the following applies: The SSA can only pay out copyright compensation for canceled performances if it has been able to collect them from the production or the organizer. Letter from Suisseculture to cultural companies.
Stage productions
So that authors can be compensated, it is important that the companies or guest venues include the royalties that would have had to be paid in their application.
Calculation table royalties (open tab DE)
The solidarity of the organizers is all the more important now that the extraordinary support and measures that benefited the authors in the spring are no longer in force. The umbrella organization FRAS (Fédération Romande des arts de la scène, member of the SBV) supports the approach proposed by the SSA. The two organizations are working together to specify the calculation modalities.
Producing companies usually hold the author’s license to perform; the fact that the host venue does not pay the royalties contractually charged to it can therefore be regarded as damage suffered by the company, which remains liable to the author.
Specific calculation modalities may apply in the case of work orders or an employment relationship between the author / the producer of the work. More info in this guide.