Theatre organisations

The Estonian Authors’ Society is an organisation of collective representation established on October 08, 1991, in order to represent members of the Society and act in their name – so that authors would not have to monitor everyone who uses their work, and the users would not have to seek out a large number of authors to ask for permission to use their creations.

In addition to members, the Estonian Authors’ Society has the right to represent other countries’ authors and publishers based on agreements concluded with organisations who represent them.  The Society has concluded agreements with most foreign societies. It also allocates financial support through its support programme to cover the costs of creative projects.

For example, based on the agreements, the Estonian Authors’ Society represents the rights of authors and publishers of musical works, and in cooperation with the Association of Estonian Audiovisual Authors (EAAL), the proprietary rights of authors of audiovisual works if they have concluded a membership or client agreement with EAAL (director, screenwriter/author of dialogue, cinematographer, artist etc.).

The Estonian Authors’ Society does not mediate the production rights of musical theatre (e.g. opera, operetta, musicals, ballet etc.), but is authorised to grant licenses to use fragments of aforementioned works or for concert performances. About tariffs HERE.

NB! In addition to copyright (which also pertains to adaptions), there are also other rights that apply to works, which the EAÜ does not represent. If existing phonograms are used in a production, then the producer must acquire the phonogram producer’s and performer’s rights from the corresponding owners of those rights. When using phonograms (public performance), the party using the music must conclude two contracts – one with the Estonian Performers Association (EEL) or the Estonian Association of Phonogram Producers (EFÜ) and the other with the Estonian Authors’ Society (EAÜ).