NSW surveyors receive landmark payments
May 19, 2015
The Copyright Agency has just completed its first payment to surveyors of almost $200,000.
This follows the determination of the Copyright Tribunal in July 2013 to award surveyors a fair share of proceeds from the sale of survey plans by the NSW Government. You can read more about the case here.
This first distribution was based on data received from NSW Land and Property Information for sales of survey plans that occurred during 2013. It was shared by more than 400 surveyor firms and individuals. Later this year the Copyright Agency will distribute the retrospective payment from the NSW government for survey plans sold between 2003 and 2012.
The Copyright Agency is currently in negotiations with all the remaining states and territories to ensure all surveyors nationwide receive remuneration for the public sale of their plans.
The Copyright Agency’s CEO Murray St Leger says, “This inaugural payment is the result of more than ten years of collaboration between surveyors and the Copyright Agency. The legal recognition of their copyright is a great victory, not just for surveyors, but for all creators who want to be paid when their content is used.”
Since 2008, when the High Court of Australia declared that surveyors owned the copyright in their survey plans, more than 600 surveyors have joined the Copyright Agency. The Copyright Agency encourages surveyors to join.
Please contact the Copyright Agency Member Services team on 1800 066 844 or email memberservices@copyright.com.au if you require any further information.