History
High spots in the history of ZAPA (the Union of Audiovisual Authors and Producers)
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 1995 | The Polish Filmmakers Association SFP received the license from the Minister of Culture and Art to carry out collective management of copyrights for audiovisual works. The first agreements with cable TV operators are signed as well as the first agreement on mutual representation with foreign collective management organizations. |
| 1996 | The ZAPA office started functioning. |
| 1997 | ZAPA signed the first agreement with TVP S.A.; the authors received first payments for TV emission, cable reemission and so called private copies. Payments for private copies also went to producers. |
| 2000 | The amendment of the Copyright Act secured by SFP has favourably changed the position of right holders; the user (e.g. broadcaster, cinema owner) and not the producer has become responsible for payment of royalties. Directors of photography are included to the rightsholders. |
| 1999-2002 | Royalties paid increased in this period fivefold. ZAPA was growing more and more dynamically. |
| 2003 | ZAPA settled the matter amicably with TVN. Cooperation with the Society of Authors ZAiKS has much improved; first agreements are signed, including those related to distribution of revenue for private copies, from cinemas and due to sales of videogrammes. |
| 2004 | After negotiations lasting a few years ZAPA signed the agreement with cable operators grouped in OIGKK (at present the Polish Chamber of Electronic Communication PIKE) on payments for producers and authors. |
| 2005 | ZAPA won the case with the network of Orbis hotels and began signing agreements with hotels. ZAPA made efforts to sign agreements with Internet portals making films available. |
| 2003-2006 | The amount of royalties paid was increasing - during this period nearly 4.5 times. |
| 2007 | ZAPA began to implement ISAN - the international system enabling identification of audiovisual works. ZAPA became a Polish agency of ISAN. ZAPA received ISO certificate. |
| 2008 | ZAPA signed an agreement with the platform Cyfrowy Polsat and a new general agreement with TVP S.A., regulating, besides current payments, also outstanding royalties. In the result of the amendment of the Copyright Act editors, sound mixers and costume designers were included to the group of creators authorized to receive royalties from ZAPA. |
| 2009 | ZAPA signed a new agreement with TVN. The number of VOD agreements reached 20 - including PTK Centertel (Orange network) and Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa (Era network) and iTVP. By the end of the year, ZAPA represented more than 2000 Polish authors and their heirs and 230 national producers. The number of international agreements reached 52. |
| 2010 | ZAPA settled the matter amicably with Polsat, thus ending the legal dispute lasting several years. By virtue of the settlement, ZAPA would collect royalties for current period and outstanding payments since the year 2000. |
| 2010 | ZAPA signed an agreement with ITI Neovision Sp. z o.o. - the operator of the satellite platform N and so called "A la carte TV". By virtue of the agreement, ZAPA would collect the royalties due for current and past periods. |
| 2010 | By the and of the year ZAPA represented more than 2600 Polish authors and their heirs and more than 270 national producers. |
| 2011 | ZAPA settled the matter amicably with the broadcaster of TELE5 channel. By virtue of the settlement, ZAPA would collect royalties from April 2002 to January 2010. At the same time ZAPA signed an agreement with Mediasat sp. z o.o., which is a broadcaster of TELE5 channel from February 2010. This agreement concerns the royalties due for current and past periods. |
| 2011 | ZAPA settled the matter amicably with two major film distributors - Best Film and Kino Swiat. |
| 2011 | By the end of the year ZAPA represented more than 3100 Polish authors and their heirs and more than 300 national producers. |