PLR in Iceland

iceland

The Writers’ Library Fund

The Writers' Library Fund Act came into effect on January 1, 1998 and replaced The Icelandic Writers' Fund which had been operating in unchanged form for 30 years.The Writers' Library Fund receives an annual contribution from the government which it allocates by law to writers, translators, authors of visual artworks and other copyright holders whose books are at the National University Library of Iceland, public lending libraries, school libraries and libraries of institutions funded by the treasury or municipal authorities.

Writers, translators, authors of visual artworks, composers and the immediate heirs of deceased copyright holders (spouses, and children under 18) may register with the fund and receive annual payments on the basis of works lent out.

Allocations are divided into two parts, one of which is allocated to copyright holders on the basis of the count of loans and the other in the form of grants to copyright holders for the number of reference copies in the libraries. Payments take place before end of May each year. There are lower and upper limits for the amount paid.

The position today

In April 2007, the Icelandic Parliament passed a new law regarding literary matters. The Writers’ Library Fund was abolished, but instead there is a clause in the new laws regarding payment to authors for library loans and other use of books at public and school libraries. Regulation for the fund was passed in April 2008.

The payments are not royalties but a cultural subsidy allocated to authors who write in the Icelandic language or translate into the Icelandic language.

The new ‘payments for library loans’ receive an annual contribution from the government which it allocates by law to writers, translators, authors of visual artworks in books whose books are in the National University Library of Iceland, public lending libraries, school libraries and libraries of institutions funded by the government or municipal authorities. Loan statistics determine almost all of the payments to authors. Payments for use of reference works on library premises are also made on the basis of a calculation matching numbers of copies to real loans.

(updated january 2010)