We manage ‘collective’ licences and licences for particular artworks.
Collective licences
Collective licences allow copying and sharing of large numbers of works from large numbers of people and companies.
We manage collective licences schemes for people who work in the education sector, the government sector, and the business sector. The schemes allow copying and sharing of text and images.
We also manage collective licences for public galleries, auction houses, and media companies, that allow copying and sharing of artworks by a large number of artists.
The licences schemes for the education and government sectors are ‘statutory’, which means that artists cannot ‘opt out’, but can be entitled to fair compensation.
Licences for particular artworks
We manage two types of licences for particular artworks:
- the licensee accepts our standard terms
- ‘customised’ licences with negotiated terms, including for larger projects that include consultation with the artist
How artists can manage their licence participation
Artists can choose to appoint Copyright Agency as their non-exclusive agent to participate in one or more of the non-statutory (opt in) licences that we manage, including licences for particular artworks.
Artist members can change their licence participation at any time via their online account, including with assistance from the Member Services team.
How we manage licensee requests
A licensee can request a licence using our Visual Arts Licensing Portal.
Depending on the request, we may provide a transactional licence (standard terms) or a customised licence (negotiated terms).
Licensee request for a ‘customised’ licence
A request may come to us from a potential licensee, or from an artist whose work the licensee wants to use.
If the initial request is to us, we contact the artist to discuss the opportunity, and if the artist would like to proceed. If we have not worked with the artist before, we provide the artist with general information about how we work with artists, including how we communicate and our fees. An artist must become a member of Copyright Agency before we can grant licences on their behalf (our membership terms are here).
If the initial request is to the artist, the artist introduces our licensing team to the client, and the team conducts research on the client.
Once it is confirmed that the project will proceed, the licensing team:
- communicates with the client to confirm full project details (this may involve multiple emails, phone calls, and Teams meetings)
- summarises the project details for the artist, including licensing fees, and checks whether the artist requires further information or amendments
- in some cases, conducts further negotiations on matters other than terms, conditions, and fees
- seeks the artist’s approval before proceeding with the licence agreement
Once the agreement is finalised, the licensing team:
- provides a summary of the agreement to the artist
- provides any follow up as required (e.g. digital artwork files, approval stages)
- responds to any questions related to the project
- ensures both the artist and client have everything required to complete the project
Among other things, we explain to the artist when we expect to receive payment from the licensee, and when we expect to make payment to the artist. This is usually in the first monthly pay-run after we receive payment from the licensee. In the rare cases that payment from the licensee is delayed, we communicate with the artist as soon as possible to let them know the reasons and next steps.
Information to artists about licensing
The information that we provide to artist members varies according to the type of licence.
For customised licences, we provide a summary of the licence by email, sometimes followed by a phone call.
For other licences, we provide a copy of the licence on request.
Payments to artists
The ways that artist members can receive payments from us are outlined on our Payments to Visual Artists webpage.
Our distribution schedule is available on our website here. We make payments to artists each month from fees we have received for licences for particular artworks, and for the artists’ resale royalty scheme.
Our deductions from licence fees
Our deductions from licence fees are set out on our website here.
Images for the Visual Arts licensing portal
Artist members can choose to include their images in Copyright Agency Images, which is part of the licensing portal. Contact the Member Services team if you would like further information.
July 2026
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