ABOUT THE LATVIAN AGENCY OF RELATED RIGHTS IN AUDIOVISUAL WORKS

The Latvian Association of Film Producers is a structural unit of the Latvian Audiovisual Works Related Rights Agency (LAVDBA).

It was founded in 2003. Currently it represents 63 Latvian audiovisual producers and, through the association “Atbalss”, around 240 foreign producers.

The Council of the Collective Management is the supervisory institution of the collective management organization, representing the interests of the copyright owners during meetings and overseeing the activities of the collective management organization within the framework established by law and statutes.

The Council, representing both members of the Latvian Association of Film Producers and other producers, is elected at a general meeting for a period of 3 (three) years.

The following were elected to the Board of Directors at the General Meeting on 15 September 2022: Bruno Aščuks, Baiba Urbāne and Antra Gaile. 

The represented related rights owner may be a film producer who has signed an agreement with the LKPA for the collective management of related rights in blank media and reproduction equipment and for receiving public performance royalties.

The remuneration can be received either as a producer of an independent Latvian film or as a co-producer of a film on the Latvian side who has invested his/her own funds in the film.

At the end of the year, the holders of the related rights with whom contracts have been concluded submit standard applications for the audiovisual works completed during the reference year which could have been made available to the public during the reference year.

The balance of the amount collected in the reference year, after deduction of administrative expenses (salary of the administrative officer, bank charges, utilities, etc. project expenses), shall be distributed by the Agency in equal shares among all right-holders who have completed audiovisual works in the reference year.

The remuneration is credited to the right holder before the end of the following calendar year to the bank account applied for as a natural person, less applicable taxes.

The decision on the payment of indemnities shall be taken by the LAVDBA Council.

The LAVDBA is entitled to make deductions from rights management revenues in accordance with its statutes, by-laws and the law: 1. expenses for rights management and 2. deductions for educational and cultural services.

The actual number of deductions from rights management revenues is determined by the LAVDBA Board.

The amount needed to manage the rights includes salaries, related taxes, allowances, statutory administrative expenses and other management costs.

Revenue can only be earmarked for cultural and educational services by a decision of the LAVDB Council.

The LAVDBA Statutes do not provide for the deduction of social services funds from the funds of the rights management, but such deductions may be made by a decision of the LAVDBA Board.

The right holder shall have the right to relinquish the right management funds to the LAVDBA, which may transfer the unused management funds to the use of the association "Latvian Film Producers Association" in accordance with the decision of the LAVDBA.

Disputes arising during the performance of this Agreement which cannot be settled by mutual negotiations shall be settled by the Parties in accordance with the procedure established by the legislation of the Republic of Latvia.