The Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society (AWGACS) was established by the Australian Writers’ Guild in 1996 as a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee to collect international royalties for its Australian and New Zealand members.

These royalties arise from money collected by AWGACS’ sister societies for:

1. Private copying

2. Rental and public lending

3. Simultaneous unaltered retransmission by cable or pay TV of primary broadcasts initially transmitted by wire or wireless means or any other available means

4. Communication to the public by means of technical equipment

5. Pay-per-view, video on demand

6. Communication in public places of radio and television programs

7. Projection in cinemas and similar establishments

8. Sale for private use

9. Use for educational purposes
 

In 2009, the Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society (AWGACS) collected a million dollars in overseas royalties for the first time.The royalties from overseas can only increase year by year with the addition of 11 more overseas partners. AWGACS now has contracts with 16 overseas collecting societies: Argentina, Chile, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Mauritius, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and Uruguay.

You are eligible to join AWGACS if you are an Australian or New Zealand film or television writer. Membership is free.