A significant gathering of Polish filmmakers took place at Kultura Cinema in Warsaw on January 11, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for just compensation from Video-on-Demand (VoD) platforms. Organized by the Polish Filmmakers Association, the meeting was attended by a diverse group of filmmakers, producers, and industry representatives. Emphasizing the vital role of internet royalties, the filmmakers underlined, "To advocate against online royalties is to oppose Polish culture."
Dire Need for Legislation
The event commenced with SFP President-director Jacek Bromski, a prominent voice in the Polish film community, expressed deep concern regarding the future of creators amidst the surge in popularity of Video-on-Demand (VoD) platforms. Bromski emphasized his earlier stance on the Netflix proposal, which he termed "a trap set for Polish filmmakers."
Bromski highlighted the growing threat to creators, stating - "The future of creators is at risk. With cinema audiences dropping and VoD platforms gaining immense popularity, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage's reluctance to regulate internet royalties, essential for Polish creators, is incomprehensible."
Poland's Lagging Progress
Dominik Skoczek, Director of SFP-ZAPA, highlighted Poland's concerning delay in implementing the EU Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market. He emphasized the directive's mandate for fair Internet royalties, a practice already adopted by countries like France, Italy, and Spain. Skoczek expressed dismay, stating, "Poland lags behind, denying its creators rightful compensation."
Skoczek also noted the missed opportunities for Polish creators, remarking:
"Polish series are immensely popular abroad, yet our creators lack the same opportunities at home. Internet royalties have significantly increased in countries like France, Spain, and Italy, but Polish creators are left waiting."
Netflix CEO's Visit Raises Questions
The gathering shed light on Netflix CEO Reed Hastings' visit to Poland, coinciding with Deputy Minister of Digitization Janusz Cieszynski's push to eliminate provisions ensuring internet royalties.
Polish filmmakers express strong dissatisfaction with Netflix's proposal, highlighting Germany's unsuccessful implementation of similar contractual solutions. In Germany, only authors of Netflix original productions are compensated, with an impractical threshold of 10 million users watching 90% of a film or series set for payment. Polish filmmakers reject this model, emphasizing the importance of fair and equitable compensation for all creators.
Urgent Call for Action
Attendees clarified that their fight is not against Netflix but for their legal entitlement to royalties. They emphasized that royalties are not a favour, but a fair compensation owed to them. The filmmakers concluded the discussion with unanimous consensus on the imperative need for prompt implementation of the directive. They unveiled the website www.tantiemyzinternetu.pl, providing essential information on the directive, implementation status in various countries, and a countdown indicating Poland's 19 months, or 83 weeks, or 583 days delay in adopting the directive.
Director Bartosz Paduch summarized the sentiment, stating, "Polish creators urge the government to swiftly enact legislation, providing us the legal foundation for fair compensation. We hope for strong support from the Polish government to uphold the rights of Polish creators."
