Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS): Who Qualifies and What You Get
Published writers can claim secondary royalties for the photocopying and digital scanning of their creative works through this membership.
The Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS) is a membership scheme designed to help published writers collect royalties when their work is used for specific purposes.
Who it's for
This scheme is specifically for published writers. If you have published written work, you may qualify for membership to help manage your rights.
What you get
The primary benefit of this membership is the collection of secondary royalties. These are payments earned when your published work is reproduced through photocopying or digital scanning. Instead of trying to track every instance where a copy is made, this scheme helps manage those rights on your behalf.
What it costs you
Joining the society requires a one-off membership fee. This is a single payment made when you sign up for the service.
The catch to know
The most important thing to understand is that receiving these royalties is not an automatic process simply by being a member. You must take the extra step of logging your specific works within the system. If you do not record your individual works, the society will not know which royalties belong to you, and you may miss out on payments.
How to apply
- Confirm that you meet the criteria for a published writer.
- Register for the membership and pay the one-off fee.
- Thoroughly log your published works into the system to ensure they are tracked.
- Monitor your account to ensure your works are being correctly recorded for royalty collection.