Contracts and Rates
Find out more about the industrial resources available to AWG members.
To access the below contracts, rates and resources, please ensure your AWG membership is up to date and log in to the member portal.
Industrial Contracts
Negotiated Agreements
Negotiated Agreements
These agreements have been negotiated by the AWG with other organisations. The agreements covering television writing have been negotiated with Screen Producers Australia (SPA). The Theatre Industry Agreement was negotiated with the Australian Major Performing Arts Group (AMPAG).
- Theatre Industry Agreement 2016
- Children’s Television Agreement (CTA) 2011 & Writers Contract with 2025 Rates
- Miniseries and Telemovies Agreement (MATA) 2010 with 2025 Rates
- Miniseries and Telemovies Agreement (MATA) Writers Contract 2010 with 2025 Rates
- Series and Serials Agreement (SASA) 2008 with 2025 Rates
- Series and Serials Agreement (SASA) Writers Contract 2 January 2008 with 2025 rates
Recommended Agreements
The AWG recommended agreements provide writers with favourable terms which are a good starting point for negotiations with producers.
- Brainstorming Agreement
- Corporate Commercial Contract
- Corporate Non-Commercial Contract
- Executive Producer (Series Creator and Showrunner) Agreement
- Feature Film Agreement
- Feature Film Option Agreement – Including Assignment Deed
- Script Editor Agreement
- Short Film Writers’ Contract
- Short Form Option Agreement Adaptation
- TV/VOD (Original Concept) Option and Assignment Agreement
Miscellaneous Agreements
- AWG Rights Assignment Letter
- Confidentiality Agreement
- Co-writers Agreement
Rates
These are standard minimum rates the AWG has negotiated over many years, and are accepted as an industrial standard. They are the minimum rates that an Australian writer ought to receive and should by no means prevent you from negotiating a higher fee.
- Casual Writing and Research Minimum Rates 2025
- Children’s Television Agreement Rates 2025
- Corporate DVD Minimum Rates 2025
- Documentary Rates 2025
- Feature Film Minimum Rates 2025
- Freelance Narrative Designer – Games and Interactive 2025
- Freelance Script Editors and Assessors 2025
- Low Budget and Short Film Rates 2025
- Miniseries and Telemovies Agreement (MATA) Rates 2025
- Series and Serials Agreement (SASA) Rates 2025
- Script Department Rates 2025 (Showrunner, Script Producer, Script Editor, Script Coordinator, Storyliner, Note-taker)
- Theatre Industry Agreement Minimum Rates 2025
Members Only Industrial Resources
- Screen Credits Manual
- Moral Rights Accord
Copyright Information
Copyright law creates incentives for people to invest their time, talent and other resources in creating new material – particularly cultural and educational material, which benefits society.
In Australia, copyright law is set out in the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth). This is federal legislation, and applies throughout Australia.
Although the Act dates from 1968, it sets out how copyright applies for material created both before and after that date. It has been regularly amended since 1968, to bring it up to date with evolving technologies and concerns. In addition to dealing with copyright rights, the Act also deals with performers’ rights and the “moral rights” of individual creators.
Copyright raises a number of questions for writers and we have answered some of common ones below, however, more useful information may be available in this booklet issued by the Australian Copyright Council.
No. The law does not protect ideas. Copyright only protects the form in which an idea is expressed, that is your script and the way the idea is expressed in your script, and not the idea itself.
No. Names and titles cannot be copyrighted as they aren’t original and/or substantial enough to warrant copyright protection. Names and titles can however be registered as trademarks through IP Australia. For further information visit their website at www.ipaustralia.gov.au
In most countries, yes. Australia is a signatory to a number of treaties relating to copyright including the Berne Convention and the agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. As a result your script is afforded copyright protection in other countries that are signatories to the treaties, which includes most countries. Similarly Australia provides protection to copyright holders from these countries too.
By registering your script you establish the completion date and ownership of your work. It does not confer copyright on your script, but it provides evidence of your claim to authorship of the literary material involved and its date of completion. Remember that priority of ownership may not necessarily be proved if your script is sent to a reader or producer before it is registered with the Australian Writers’ Guild.
To register your script, head here.
There is no need to register it in the USA if it is registered in Australia, though in some cases it may be helpful. Australian copyright is recognised in the USA, so your script is protected. However if a case arises in the USA over the ownership of the script, it is simpler if the script is registered in the USA.
Prior to 1 January 2005 copyright lasted until 50 years from the end of the year in which the creator died, or for some material, until 50 years from the end of the year in which the material was first published. This period has now been extended, in most cases, to 70 years from the end of the year in which the creator died or 70 years from the end of the year in which the material was first published.
