SIAE

The Italian Society of Authors and Publishers (SIAE) is a non-profit collective management organization in the form of a public economic entity with an associative basis, responsible for protecting intellectual works and managing copyright intermediation in Italy. Today, SIAE is the sixth-largest collecting society in the world in terms of copyright revenue and safeguards the creative work of over 125,000 authors and publishers in the fields of Music, Cinema, Theater, Radio-TV and Online Works, Opera and Ballet, Literary Works, and Visual Arts. It collects and distributes copyright royalties to its registered members based on the use of their works. Additionally, SIAE plays a key role in several organizations that advocate for creators' interests at both the European and international levels. With a strategic plan focused on digital transformation, new skills, and more effective negotiations with major global players, in 2025 SIAE surpassed the one‑billion‑euro revenue threshold, distributing €849 million in royalties to its members while further reducing costs. Average commissions were brought down to 13.7%, reaching 8% for digital and 5% for major live events.

The Italian Society of Authors and Publishers (SIAE) is a non-profit collective management organization in the form of a public economic entity with an associative basis, responsible for protecting intellectual works and managing copyright intermediation in Italy. Today, SIAE is the sixth-largest collecting society in the world in terms of copyright revenue and safeguards the creative work of over 125,000 authors and publishers in the fields of Music, Cinema, Theater, Radio-TV and Online Works, Opera and Ballet, Literary Works, and Visual Arts. It collects and distributes copyright royalties to its registered members based on the use of their works. Additionally, SIAE plays a key role in several organizations that advocate for creators' interests at both the European and international levels. With a strategic plan focused on digital transformation, new skills, and more effective negotiations with major global players, in 2025 SIAE surpassed the one‑billion‑euro revenue threshold, distributing €849 million in royalties to its members while further reducing costs. Average commissions were brought down to 13.7%, reaching 8% for digital and 5% for major live events. ==History== The Italian Society of Authors was founded in Milan at 4:00 PM on 23 April 1882, in the Clock Room of Palazzo Marino. The previous day, several prominent figures from Italian culture, entertainment, publishing, and the arts had gathered there to discuss a unified plan for copyright protection. A total of 181 individuals, including scholars of science, literature, and the arts, joined the association. With the approval of its first statute, the SIA (Società Italiana degli Autori), the Italian Society of Authors for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Property, was born. Since its foundation in 1882, indeed, the organization has undergone several name changes: SIA (Società Italiana degli Autori) from 1882 to 1926, SIAE (Società Italiana degli Autori ed Editori) from 1926 to 1942, EIDA (Ente Italiano per il Diritto d'Autore), and finally back to SIAE in 1945. ===Context and premises=== In the 19th century, the need for authors to have guarantees protecting their works grew across Europe. Initially, the issue attracted particular attention in France, where the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD) had already been operating since its foundation in 1777 by Beaumarchais. Victor Hugo led a campaign to secure recognition of authors' rights and, in 1838, together with Balzac, Dumas, and George Sand, became one of the founders of the Société des Gens de Lettres (SGDL). While Balzac lamented that "for the difficult product of intelligence, common law is suspended in Europe," Enrico Rosmini observed that "the theory of true absolute and perpetual ownership in favor of authors never had many followers in Italy." Instead, a specialized body of literature on theater emerged, primarily focusing on melodrama and analyzing various aspects of theatrical professions without ever mentioning authors and their rights. However, the issue gradually gained attention within national legislation and early international agreements, including the 22 May 1840 convention between the Emperor of Austria and the King of Sardinia. In 1865, Italy enacted its first copyright law, Law No. 2337/1865, which was later amended by Law No. 2652/1875 and remained in force until 1925. As summarized by Rosmini, the new law required that "anyone wishing to claim copyright protection must submit two copies of their published work to the Prefect of the province, along with a declaration reserving these rights." In 1878¹, in anticipation of the Universal Exposition, Victor Hugo strongly advocated for the SGDL to contribute to the International Literary Congress, which was scheduled as part of the celebrations alongside the centenary of Voltaire. He served as the Congress's president, and the recognition of literary property rights was the primary topic on the agenda. Among the Italian participants were Edmondo De Amicis, Tullo Massarani, Edoardo Sonzogno, and Giuseppe Garibaldi. The Congress produced several resolutions, including the principle that copyright should no longer be regarded as a mere legal concession, but rather as a fundamental form of property. Around the same time, Hugo was also involved in founding the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale (ALAI). During this period, many authors, even well-known ones, faced financial hardship in their later years. At the Second Dramatic Congress on 24 February 1878, Alamanno Morelli spoke on behalf of those advocating for financial support for authors, noting that "in France and England, aging artists receive assistance." In this climate, the idea of an Italian organization to protect authors' rights began to take shape. The Second Dramatic Congress established a Commission tasked with studying the creation of an Authors' Society. The Commission, chaired by playwright Paolo Ferrari, included political figures (Senators Tullo Massarani, Felice Mangili, and Francesco Brioschi), legal experts (Stefano Interdonato and Enrico Rosmini), and artists (painter Domenico Induno, sculptor Gerolamo Oldofredi-Tadini, and musician Antonio Bazzini). Additionally, it included literary figures Luigi Capranica, Giulio Carcano, Damiano Muoni, and Francesco Foucault di Daugnon, as well as academics Vigilio Inama, Cesare Cantù, and Giovanni Schiaparelli. A smaller Committee was later formed in 1881¹ to finalize the establishment of the Society. Under the presidency of Cesare Cantù, around forty individuals contributed to drafting the Statute, including playwrights Leopoldo Pullé and Paolo Ferrari, jurist Giuseppe Pietro Edoardo Sacchi, and publisher Filippo Bernardoni. Meanwhile, the Minister of Justice, Giuseppe Zanardelli, who later became a member himself, issued a circular urging magistrates to take proactive action against literary piracy, stating that: "Complaints about frequent and varied counterfeiting continue to arise from all directions, demonstrating that literary property is still not accorded the respect it indisputably deserves." ===Membership=== An author or publisher can entrust the protection of their works to SIAE through a relationship that can be either as a member or by granting a mandate, for one or more repertoires managed by SIAE: Music, Cinema, Theatrical Works, Radio/TV and Online, Operatic and Choreographic Works, Literary Works, and Visual Arts. Authors can also register through the SIAE+ app, which the Society provides free of charge on iOS and Android. Today, SIAE has over 125,000 authors and publishers. Membership is renewed annually through the payment of a fee, both for association and for mandate arrangements. For authors under the age of 30 and startups less than two years old, association membership is completely free, while mandate registration for these categories only requires the payment of a revenue stamp. Membership is also free for those over 80 and for authors with a disability of more than one-third. The key difference between membership and a mandate is that members have the right to vote and run for election to SIAE's governing bodies, including the Board of Directors and Supervisory Board. Authors, publishers, and rights holders who are not citizens of a European Union country can have their works protected by SIAE only through a mandate arrangement. ==Results== SIAE's financial results, after the difficult times coming from pandemic and the related crisis of creative and entertainment sectors, are experiencing a positive trend peaking with record results in 2025 (1 billion and 22 million euros turnover). ==Distribution== Throughout the year SIAE periodically distributes to members royalties collected among users of several creative repertoires, such as music, audiovisual works, theatrical/dramatic works, ballet, radio-tv works, literature and visual arts. ===Royalty distribution and member rights=== The influence of a vote in assembly decisions is not the same for all members, but varies according to the amount of royalties received by the member. Until 2017, SIAE used to be a legal monopoly in Italy, granted by the State to perform mediation activities. ==Competitors== Soundreef has been an alternative to SIAE since 2011. In 2017, Italian singers like J-Ax, Fedez, and Enrico Ruggeri chose to work with this company instead of SIAE. After a few years with Soundreef, Fedez decided to return to SIAE in 2023. J-Ax also decided to return to the collecting society SIAE. According to AGCOM, SIAE represents 99,2% of the market, while Soundreef stands for the remaining 0,8%. ==See also== Copyright law of Italy ==References== ==External links==

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