Collective management organisations
 

Whether, how, and where a work may be used is the author’s exclusive decision. As a rule, the permission to use a work, and the terms and conditions of use, are agreed between the author of the work and the user. In the case of mass uses – such as music on the radio or in shops – it would be practically impossible for a user to contact each author individually. That is what collective management organisations (also known as collecting societies or collective administration societies) are for. Collective management organisations manage the copyrights of individual authors collectively vis à vis the users.

In Switzerland, there are five collective management organisations . These entities are organised under private law as cooperative societies or associations:

ProLitteris: Swiss Copyright Society for Literature and Visual Arts.

SSA: a cooperative society of authors in the theatrical, dramatico-musical, choreographic, audiovisual, and multimedia sectors.

SUISA: Swiss Cooperative Society for Authors and Publishers of Music

SUISSIMAGE: manages the copyrights of film authors, such as script writers and directors, and of rightholders (e.g., film producers).

SWISSPERFORM manages neighbouring rights (also called related rights) in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein for performing artists, producers of audio and audiovisual recordings, and broadcasters.