Hungarian Alliance Of Reprographic Rights

Address: H-1012 Budapest, Pálya u. 4-6.
Postal address: H-1276 Budapest, Pf. 71.
Tel.: +36-1-2147363 Fax: +36-1-2018717
E-mail: emeresz@axelero.hu

Collective administration of reprographic rights:

Hungarian Alliance Of Reprographic Rights (HARR) (in Hungarian: Magyar Reprográfiai Szövetség - RSZ) commenced its operation on 8th of November, 2000. Members of the alliance are: ARTISJUS Hungarian Bureau for the Protection of Auhors' Rights (musical rights), HUNGART Society of Hungarian Creative Artists (visual arts) and MASZRE Reprographic Society of the Hungarian Book and Periodical Writers and Publishers. (representing literary writers and publishers, scientific writers and publishers) HARR acquires control over reprographic rights of individual authors and publishers through their representative and already existing societies in which they are members and which themselves are members of HARR. HARR was accepted and subsequently registered as an organisation for collective administration of rights by the Minister of National Cultural Heritage on 01. 09. 2000. A statement thereof was published in the 94/2000. issue of the Hungarian Official Gazette. The prime mission of the alliance is, on the basis of the authorization vested in an organisation providing centralised managmet of reproduction and related rights by the Articles 21. (1), (3) and (5) of the 1999. LXXVI. Hungarian Copyright Act, to determine and collect remunerations for authors and publishers whose works have been reproduced by means of photocopying or other similiar methods (reprography). Photocopying and reproduction of printed works has come to an extent and has become so widespread nationwide that the introduction of a new legal institution of a so called reprographic fee was unavoidable in Hungary. The scope of equipments for which reprographic fee should be collected is defined in the 197/2004. (VI. 22.) Government Decree. Currently the defined equipments are photocopyers, printers and multifunctional equipments.

Licensees:

According to Article 21. (1) of the Copyright Act, fees shall be paid by the manufacturers of equipments being used for reprogaphy and in case of manufacturing abroad, fees shall be paid by those obliged to pay costume duties for importing such equipments. Since 01. 05. 2005 besides importers in lack of custom duty paying obligation both any natural and legal person bringing such equipments into Hungary and also the first domestic distributor of reprographic equipments shall be universally liable for paying reprographic remuneration. Moreover, fees shall be paid by any legal entity or person who operate such equipments on payment. Thus the law - instead of the alternative of practicaly impossible individual licenses or complete prohibition - provide legal licence for the users upon payment of a nominal fee (lump sum). The first group of licensees are importers (equipment levy). The other ones are operators (operator levy), for instance copy shops but also educational or cultural institutions if they make photocopying possible on payment. Operator levy is to be paid even if the copying machine is not owned but rented or leased by the operator or even if it is operated with coins or cards.

Tariffs, datasheets:

Annual rates of tariffs worked out by HARR are being accepted and endorsed by tha Minister of National Cultural Heritage and published in the Hungarian Official Gazette. Chapter I. and II. of the table contains the rate of fees and Chapter III. contains general regulations. Both importers and operators are to submit their reports neccessary for calculating royalty payment by filling out and returning the forms provided by HARR. These datasheets will be send out upon request to clients by post or electronic mail, or could be downloaded from this homepage. Upon receipt of information provided in the forms a notice of payment shall be posted by HARR including 20% VAT. Once payment is recevied an invoice is issued and sent to the customer. Sanctions subsequent to false or failed declarations or concerning non-payments are defined in Article 22. of the Copyright Act.

Rightsholders:

Authors and publishers of works presumably being reproduced by means of photocopying or similiar methods are entitled to the collected revenues. These are the written works, sheet music, pieces of music, works of fine art, professional and scientific studies or illustrations published in books and periodicals, in other words the works expressed by letters, graphics or photography. HARR is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation which once in every year transfer privious year's collections to its member societies directly representing rightholders (authors, publishers). These societies' respective share in distribution is determined by the regulations of Article 21. (5) of the Copyright Act and by the mutual and annual agreement among them. Filing works and forwarding payment to individual rightholders in person is carried out indepedently by the member societies according to their distribution code.