The Stage

Mobile phone royalty deal signals windfall for writers

Published Tuesday 14 February 2006 at 12:55 by Liz Thomas

Ricky Gervais, Meera Syal, Matt Lucas and David Walliams are among writers that could net hundreds of thousands of pounds, following the announcement of a new royalty deal for clips used on mobile phones.

The agreement, which follows news of a joint venture between BBC Worldwide and Orange that enables users to watch videos of classic scenes and use famous catchphrases from popular Corporation shows as ringtones, means that writers of popular programmes such as The Office, Goodness Gracious Me and Doctor Who will be paid 5.6% of the sales price every time a clip is bought. It is estimated that the it will cost up to £2 to purchase each extract.

Writers’ Guild general secretary Bernie Corbett said: “We had a long and tough negotiation with the BBC over mobile phone clips and ringtones. The outcome is a deal that gives writers a complete veto if they don’t want their material used in this way, but assures them of a good royalty if they do agree. We believe the royalty deal is better than previous arrangements for video on demand and the like. Writers will receive a royalty on every single sale, pegged to the retail price. The more sales you make, the bigger payment you will get. The guild thinks this deal could be a model for many other new digital platforms.”

The union and the BBC had been locked in negotiations for more than a year before developing the current contract because of wrangling over royalty rates and intellectual property. A guild spokesperson added: “An issue that came up was that some people just did not want their clips to be used at all - they felt it might degrade their work or debase the characters. This deal means that they can opt out. However with all the new technologies available, there should be a lot of new income for writers. It’s their money and they’ve earned it.”

Ownership of rights and royalty rates are becoming increasingly contentious as broadcasters, producers, performers and writers all battle to stake their claim following the proliferation of new technologies such as internet streaming, podcasting, and mobile and broadband.

BBC Worldwide director of business development Jason Blain added that the organisation would be looking more and more to move toward non-traditional broadcast opportunities.

Video clips, ringtones and images are available from the following shows:

• The Office

• Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps

• Little Britain

• The League of Gentlemen

• Goodness Gracious Me

• Doctor Who