Distributions, Protect works

Report on the main distribution in 2025

ProLitteris distributes each year the previous year’s revenue, which comes from statutory and international royalties as well as extended collective licenses. The main distribution of around CHF 19 million to the members takes place in September and consists of the Print, Online and Broadcast distributions. Of the originally collected amount of around CHF 35 million, shares first go to other collective management organizations and organizations in Switzerland and abroad (around CHF 12 million). The revenue from voluntary collective management (Art distribution area) for the reproduction of works of art and for literary works in radio and TV broadcasts (Audio distribution area, in particular uses by SRG SSR, around CHF 1 million) is also distributed in advance. In addition, percentages flow into social benefits and cultural contributions (around CHF 3 million), which are deducted together with administrative costs before the distributions.

10/01/2025

Participation of works and rightsholders
As every year, three reporting procedures were carried out and three distribution amounts were calculated in application of the distribution rules: (distribution rules)

Print distribution
Online distribution
Broadcast distribution

Distribution amounts
The main distribution 2025 comprised around CHF 18.85 million. The distribution amounts are:

Print distribution: around CHF 9.54 million (previous year CHF 10.68 million).
Online distribution: around CHF 8.87 million (previous year CHF 6.43 million).
Broadcast distribution: around CHF 0.44 million (previous year CHF 0.26 million).

Explanation and assessment
The Online distribution has grown thanks to an improved system and more detailed data transmission, so that publishing houses were able to complete their declaration of the authors. The increase of CHF 2.5 million compared with the previous year includes around CHF 1.1 million for the large media publishing houses and their journalists, image authors, photographers and other authors – and indeed in equal amounts (50:50 principle for authors and publishing houses in the Online distribution). A further CHF 300 000 is due to an increase of 13 publishing houses or operators of websites as well as around 300 authors in various fields (journalism, science, special interest etc.); in addition, there was an increase in the average text length and use of images, so that the average royalty value also rose. The new Broadcast distribution has also grown significantly, benefiting literary works on radio and television, comedy and spoken word as well as screenplays.

Regular review
In preparation for the main distribution, the board of ProLitteris examines the distribution amounts and the development of the Print, Online and Broadcast distributions. It assessed the growth of the Online distribution as consistent and considered an approximately equal allocation of copying-related royalties to printed and digital works to be acceptable. The new Common Tariff 8 (organizations, copying royalties) basically provides for a 50:50 distribution of revenue between paper copies and digital copies. ProLitteris is obliged to distribute on a rules basis in accordance with the approved distribution rules, and the statutory principle is the measured or estimated usage revenue (Art. 49 and Art. 60 CopA). The board intends to keep an eye on the distribution amounts and in particular the calculation formula and the minimum royalty in the Online distribution.