It has been a good year for ASDACS. Total collections for the 2019 year were $1,982,630 (up 13% from last year), this is the largest yearly collection we’ve ever had. Distributions to members during the year (2018 Income) totalled $1,267,898. Administration costs recovered from the distributable fund for the year were 15% of collections. The five-year average is 18%. The full 2019 annual accounts are available on our website here.
CULTURAL FUND
The Cultural Fund was established to further the objectives of the Company for the benefit of members. It is funded by a 4% deduction from the royalties collected each year. During the year $79,305 was transferred to the Fund. $75,000 was donated to the Australian Directors Guild, $14,500 was donated to The Directors & Editors Guild of New Zealand and $1,000 was donated to the Australian International Documentary Conference.
DEVELOPMENT FUND
The Development Fund is funded from undistributed payments remaining in distributable funds that are closed following expiry of their trust period and as determined by the Board. During the year the Fund decreased by $42,851 due to $39,595 used on our database upgrade and $8,182 from the Fund in respect of distributions made to members during the year from closed funds. Expired distributions of $4,926 were allocated to the development fund.
ACTIVITIES
At the end of May 2019 Deb Jackson, Kingston Anderson and I went to Tokyo for the CISAC General Assembly. While we were there we particularly met with members and board of the Japanese Directors Guild and formed a strong connection with them. They were particularly interested in forming a collecting society like ours.
We also made contact with South Korea and many other countries.
In October Deb and myself (with Anna Broinowski from the ADG board) attended the CISAC- W&DW meeting in Busan, South Korea, in order to form an alliance of Asia Pacific Audio-visual Writers and Directors Associations (AAPA). This alliance will prove very useful to all countries in Asia in the future. It was interesting that Australia is the only country in Asia to have formed a collecting society so countries were looking to us for guidance. The countries that attended this meeting were Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and (without commitment) China.
In December the CISAC Director General and the Regional Director paid a visit to AUS/NZ to assist with the authors copyright campaign for New Zealand, lobbying with emphasis on the NZ copyright review.
NEW COLLECTING SOCIETIES
We now have three new international collecting society partners: GCA, Georgia, SGAE: Spain, DGK, South Korea. Our total partners are now 37
MEMBERSHIP PORTAL
ASDACS has developed a new online membership portal to make it easier for members.
CODE OF CONDUCT
We have implemented the new government recommendations for the Code of Conduct for Copyright Collecting Societies. More information here.
Apart from the above I would like to give Deb Jackson, our Executive Director, my warmest thanks for all her work this year, including the appointment of new staff member Melanie Nall. Deb has worked tirelessly on the new portal system, as well running the office and budget, doing great work while overseas (especially getting new contracts) and keeping in touch with CISAC and our overseas partners from here. The board and I are extremely appreciative of her work.
I also thank the other two staff members, Brenton Amies and Melanie Nall for their dedication and diligence.
Big thanks go to board members Donald Crombie (treasurer), Kevin Lucas (Secretary) Grant Campbell (representing New Zealand) Pat Fiske, Howard Scott Hartford Davis and new member Megan Simpson Huberman, all of whom have been meticulous in their work for ASDACS, attending meetings, discussing issues tirelessly, giving advice, answering emails promptly and without fuss. Donald has been especially active this year as treasurer but every board member has done their job well. I doubt if we could have a better board.
Thanks finally to Kingston Anderson who retired this year as Executive Director of both ASDACS and the ADG. He guided ASDACS from 2015-19 and did a great job. Deb Jackson is now the Executive Director of ASDACS.
Stephen Wallace (Chair)