Who is Copyright Licensing New Zealand?

13 July 2022

Far from a purely administrative organisation, Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) has a dynamic team of people who keep an eye on local and world affairs in the creative arts and rights space, to ensure that NZ authors and artists are able to benefit from the use of their work both here and overseas, and that users have the correct licenses to access and use those works. CLNZ works with arts organisations to educate members on copyright law, and provides legal access to materials and advice for continued understanding.

As a not-for-profit collective management organization, jointly owned by the Publishers Association of NZ (PANZ) and the NZ Society of Authors (NZSA) CLNZ issues licences, administrates revenue distribution, and acts with advocacy, representing both copyright owners and licensed users in the NZ creative scene. It’s an efficiently run organisation with a strong seat at the table, when it comes to influencing government policy, thanks, in large part, to CE Paula Browning. When there are discussions and reviews on a national level regarding creator rights and guiding organizations in the legal use of materials, we are present and in the house.

CLNZ exists to make the legal use of works by authors and visual artists an informed and simplified process, by arranging licences (for both big organisations, such as schools, universities, and auction houses, and smaller businesses, such as funeral directors or a church,) and distributing the fees from the licences back to the creators as royalties. We are here to help you do the right thing, when it comes to the Creative Rights of all New Zealanders

Read more about us here.

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Written by Karen Workman, Kaiwhakahaere Whakapa | Creative Rights Educator