Argentina: Official Collective Management Organization for Film Directors

On 19 February 2009 the Argentine Film Directors Association (“Directores Argentinos Cinematográficos” or “DAC”) was recognized as the sole official collective management organization for film directors, by presidential Decree 124/2009. The Decree was officially announced by the president of Argentina, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, in a fancy event on the same day as her birthday.

DAC is now vested with the power to raise all the royalties due to Argentine and foreign film directors in Argentina and all royalties due to Argentine film directors abroad, based on the provisions of the Intellectual Property Law N° 11.723. The decree also establishes that the DAC will work with the Media Office of the Chief of Staff (Secretaría de Medios de Comunicación de la Jefatura de Gabinete de Ministros) in order to approve, set or modify any royalty rate or any formula to calculate royalties.

Further information on the DAC and Decree 124/2009 can be found here (Spanish only).

Since 2004 the Intellectual Property law has granted film directors a unique intellectual property right over their works, which is shared with the scriptwriter and the producer of the film. This decree is a new step to empower film directors in the exercise of their rights.

Source: note kindly submitted by Celia Lerman (Mitrani, Caballero & Ojam Abogados).