The trade in subsidiary rights can be of significant importance to the publishing process, with rights sales providing vital additional revenue for authors and publishers alike; in many cases, potential rights sales can influence the overall publishing decision. The acquisition of rights can extend the range of a commissioned list. This chapter sets out to examine the importance of securing a suitable rights ‘package’ from the author (or via the author’s agent) in order to maximize the exploitation of intellectual property rights through the active exploitation of appropriate rights categories such as same-language territorial rights, translation rights, serial rights, audio rights, dramatization rights, and electronic rights. In addition, it touches on areas of rights which are reactive (the granting of permissions) or in effect contracted out (collective secondary licensing via a mandate to the national Collective Management Organization). It also covers key issues on the acquisition of rights.
The Effectiveness of National Collective Management Organization Regulation