How to register a work

The basic requirement for registering a work is its prior dissemination e.g. performing it during a concert, publishing its recorded version, broadcasting it on TV.

The first work, regardless of its type, has to be registered in a traditional format – in writing (documents need to be provided personally or sent by post); music notation also has to be provided (sheet music or a piano score).

Each successive work, apart from the exceptions described below, may be registered online, without the need to send piano scores, at any time and from any place: music may be registered in the form of an audio file and lyrics in a PDF file.

 

For general licencing questions please contact: rejestracja.online@zaiks.org.pl

or call: +48 22 55 67 174, +48 22 55 67 264

The Society of Authors ZAiKS protects:

• musical works (classical music, popular music, jazz music, etc.)
• textual and musical works (songs, anthems, arias, etc.)
• textual works (poems, monologues, dialogues, sketches, dramatical works, monodramas, etc.)
• textual works (film scripts, dialogues, film commentaries) created with the intention to be disseminated within audiovisual works
• choreographic works

The Society of Authors ZAiKS does not protect:

• ideas
• patents
• scripts and outlines of programmes, radio and TV broadcasts,
•  journalistic writing,
• interviews,
• computer software,
•  graphical headlines,
• previews, images,
•  logotypes,
•  names of bands etc.

 

Grand and small rights

Works protected by ZAiKS in principle belong to two categories: grand and small rights.

 

Grand rights

Works in the category of grand rights are original works and their derivations constituting large thematically coherent closed composition are original works and works constituting large forms that are thematically coherent closed compositions.

In the field of works composed of words:

-epic works, in particular novel, short story, novella, fable; lyrical works in particular poem, poetic fable,

-dramatic works, in particular drama, tragedy, comedy, farce, radio play.

In the field of lyrical and musical works, dramatic and musical works, in particular opera, operetta, musical comedy, fairy tale musical, musical, comedy-drama.

In the field of choreographic and pantomime works, in particular ballet and pantomime.

Excerpts of works from the category of Grand Rights that constitute thematically coherent closed composition, such as act of opera, drama, ballet are included in the category of Grand Rights.

Excerpts of works from the category of Grand Rights that do not constitute thematically coherent closed composition, in particular an opera aria, an operetta aria, an overture, a ballet scene from opera or ballet, and other stage forms, are excluded from the Grand Rights category.

The category of Grand Rights includes both original works and their derivations.

 

Small rights

The category “small rights” comprises small textual, musical, textual and musical, and choreographic works (e.g. a short poetic work, sketch, monologue, song, instrumental work, circus reprise, choreography routine, film script) that do not belong to the “grand rights” category.

 

What can be registered with ZAiKS in the traditional way?

Works that have to be registered with ZAiKS in the traditional way, i.e. either by post or in person comprise:

• “grand rights” works (large-scale forms) – for details please contact  grand.rights@zaiks.org.pl
• works created together with a person who did not sign a collective management agreement with ZAiKS
• works whose co-authors are dead but for whom the 70-year period from their death has not yet expired. A form with the written agreement of their heirs has to be included with the documentation
• derivatives of another’s work
• choreographic works
• works created for films, e.g. scripts, dialogues, commentaries for documentaries, translations - for details please dial 22 55 67 104 or 22 55 67 124

 

What can be registered through zaiks.online?

Works that can be registered through zaiks.online are:

• one’s own textual, musical, textual and musical works
• works for which the second layer (music or lyrics) was created by a living person who signed a collective management agreement with ZAiKS and submitted at least one work in the traditional way (in written form)
• works for which the second layer belongs to the public domain (i.e. at least 70 years have passed from the author’s death)
• works whose co-authors are members of foreign societies and they already registered a given work with their society