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Kia ora Maya,
2023 was an interesting year for Copyright Licensing New Zealand (CLNZ) as we worked through the development of the MyCreativeRights (MyCR) service and navigated our way towards an understanding of the impact of Generative AI.
MyCR has been developed with the assistance and support of Manatū Taonga, Ministry for Culture & Heritage, and many writers, publishers and visual artists who provided feedback throughout the development of the platform. |
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Alongside MyCR we continue to fund and manage the successful Creative Rights Education programme throughout Aotearoa. Over 1500 people have now attended from all areas of the creative sector. The feedback has been universally positive, and we have rolled out a second round of workshops focusing on contracts and agreements.
Globally we have seen the continued rise of Generative AI. What we are still most concerned about is the continued infringement of copyright by the large language models (LLMs) that drive the generative AI tools. It is not correct to say that these models are simply observing data, text and images from creators – rather, they are copying massive amounts of people's work without permission, acknowledgement or remuneration. However, it is pleasing to see that some Big Tech organisations are now using only licensed content in their LLMs. We continue to participate in the AI Forum and are working, with other creative organisations, to effect change in pro-innovation, pro-creator rights, regulation and policy for Generative AI. The Auction House Licensing Scheme continues to grow, and we are very pleased that all four of the major auction houses in Aotearoa are now part of the programme. We have also been involved in the Artist Resale Royalty Scheme and will have more news on that soon. We also continue to support the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) and the New Zealand Society of Authors’ (NZSA) in their advocacy work and engage with various government agencies, select committees, MPs, and Ministers on creative rights. Notable in the last 12 months has been our work on AI policy and regulation, and the briefings to new Ministers.
Mā te wā,
Sam Irvine, Chief Executive
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A note from our Board Chair – Karun Shenoy |
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2023 was another busy year for CLNZ, with some notable milestones and board level changes. Pat Walsh, Independent Director, stepped down after nine years (six as Chair). Pat steered CLNZ through challenging times, setting a strong strategic direction, and ensuring robust governance. Katherine Gordon stepped down as Shareholder Director after six years, having helped improve governance significantly and advocated strongly for authors.
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We appointed Rose Carlyle as Shareholder Director from NZSA and Victoria Spackman, as Independent Director. Rose brings an author’s perspective and a legal background. Victoria has extensive governance experience, with significant involvement in the performing arts sector. We also appointed Yolunda Hickman as our Visual Arts Representative and Evo Leota-Tupou as our Board Intern. Sam Irvine, our CEO, led successful initiatives, including launching MyCreativeRights, a service for creatives. We met our licensing revenue targets and diversified our revenue streams. Sam also spent considerable time on relationship-building with our stakeholders, and understanding the impact of AI on our business model.
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Revenue, licensing and distributions in 2023
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We’re a not-for-profit organisation and so when a school, university, business, church, or any other organisation, licences with us, we distribute the net revenue from that licence to the rightsholders whose works have been copied (rightsholders are usually the people who created the work).
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| Licensing | 2022 | 2023 | | Total Schools Licensed | 1,973 |
2,015 | Total Students
| 636,055 |
656,699 | | Primary Students |
391,002 |
409,647 | |
Secondary Students | 245,053 | 247,052 |
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For more information on CLNZ's activity in 2023, see our Annual Report.
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Time to renew: School Licensing |
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A reminder that relicensing for schools has just commenced. If you haven’t received one already, keep an eye out for a renewal email from Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (formerly NZSTA), the body that administers renewals on behalf of CLNZ.
Your compliance makes a real difference to Aotearoa’s rich creative environment. Thank you to those who are currently licensed and those who intend to renew. Doing the right thing ensures that Aotearoa’s authors and publishers are remunerated for their mahi, enables them to continue making new works, and demonstrates the importance of valuing creative rights.
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CLNZ|NZSA Research Grant entries are open |
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Applications for the 2024 CLNZ | NZSA Research Grants are open. Four grants valued at $5,000 each are available for Aotearoa New Zealand writers to conduct research for a fiction or non-fiction writing project. One of the grants targets diverse writers and topics, including writers from, and writing about, parts of Aotearoa that are not broadly represented in writing and publishing, and projects on issues or subjects that are topical in present day Aotearoa. |
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We're sorry, there was a mistake on the closing date for this award in a previous email. The correct closing date is 4pm on Friday 7 June.
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CLNZ|NZSA Writers' Award opens soon |
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The 2024 CLNZ | NZSA Writers' Award will soon be open for applications. The $25,000 award enables the successful recipient to dedicate time to a specific non-fiction writing project. It’s open to Aotearoa New Zealand writers of any genre of non-fiction, including writers of education material.
Applications open Friday 31 May and close at 4pm on Monday 1 July. |
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CLNZ is here to make creative rights work for ALL New Zealanders. We aim to reflect New Zealand society and empower creatives so they can spend their time creating! As part of this, CLNZ is now an approved member of Safe Space Alliance, a LGBTQI+ led nonprofit organisation that aims to help people identify, navigate, and create safe spaces for LGBTQI+ communities worldwide. |
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We are joining thousands of organisations like libraries, museums and galleries from around the motu and the world, who are proud members of this alliance. |
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We love feedback – get in touch or find us on social media |
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Image credits: Sam Irvine: CLNZ | A note from our Board Chair: Karun Shenoy | School Licensing: CLNZ | Freddie Marriage on Unsplash | Christin Hume on Unsplash | Safe Space Alliance.
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.jpg "Sam Irvine, Chief Executive")
