Helping artists manage their rights
are professional organizations or associations that represent artists and other creators. CMOs exist in many creative fields, including music, film, literature, and performing arts. They all share the same goal: to ensure creators are paid and credited for their work.
In the visual arts, CMOs represent painters, sculptors, illustrators, photographers, designers, and other creators. They act as a bridge between artists and the people who use their works, such as publishers, museums, auction houses, and online platforms.
CMOs help collect and distribute payments (called ) when artists’ works are used, for example, when an image appears in a magazine, catalogue, museum exhibition, or digital platform. In some countries, also manage the artist’s , so that creators are paid when their works are resold on the .
Collective management has practical benefits. It makes the use of artworks more transparent, helps track how works are used, and gives creators more leverage when dealing with those who want to use their works.
CMOs are well positioned to enforce the rights of their members. By acting collectively, they can address unauthorized use more effectively and ensure that creators’ rights are respected.
How CMOs work
CMOs negotiate with users of creative works (such as publishers, broadcasters, platforms, museums, and galleries) and grant for copyright uses, such as reproductions, digital displays, and in some jurisdictions, public exhibitions of original works. They then collect royalties and distribute them to artists.
CMOs simplify copyright management for artists and institutions by offering clear and consistent licensing systems.
Most CMOs are not-for-profit organizations. They reinvest part of their income into cultural programs, social support, and education for artists. In some countries, there may be one national CMO; in others, artists can choose between several.
Depending on the rights they manage, these organizations may also be referred to as authors’ societies or collecting societies. Some focus on specific areas. For example, mainly deal with text and image licensing for print or digital use.
Within the visual arts sector, CMOs usually manage two categories of rights:
, such as , , or making available to the public, based on individual (permission) from authors; and
collectively administered rights, including (e.g. private copying or reprography), exercised under law, as well as rights managed under collective licensing schemes, such as the , where individual negotiation is impractical.
Think of a CMO as a team that represents many creators at once. To act on your behalf, it must first have your formal approval to license your work, collect royalties, and distribute payments to you. Because the structure of CMOs and copyright law vary from country to country, there is no single model for how are obtained.
In general, a CMO can receive a mandate through:
voluntary agreements from individual artists or rightsholders who choose to have the CMO manage their rights;
agreements with professional groups, where national law allows these bodies to grant rights on behalf of their members;
mandatory collective management required by law, for example where legislation obliges CMOs to administer , where applicable, or ;
or a combination of these, depending on the national legal framework.
For more information, read WIPO’s Good Practice Toolkit for Collective Management Organizations.
What do CMOs do for artists?
License uses of artworks – they grant permission for others to reproduce, exhibit, communicate or otherwise make the work available to the public, and publish or distribute copies of the work in physical or digital form.
Collect and distribute royalties – they ensure artists are paid when their works are used. This includes royalties, payments for , where applicable, and remuneration collected through schemes such as , where individual licensing is not possible.
Enforce rights on behalf of artists – CMOs can use their collective strength to take legal action or negotiate with users, helping protect artists’ rights in situations where individual enforcement would be difficult or unrealistic.
Support members – they offer legal advice, funding programs, training, or cultural and social support for artists.
To do this, CMOs keep records, track how works are used, and set tariffs under national and international rules. Their role is growing as more use happens online.
Explore our page on Collective Management in Visual Arts to learn more.
Licensing made easy
When a museum, publisher, or online platform wants to use an artwork, they usually need permission from the creator or another rightholder.
A CMO makes this easier by issuing licenses on behalf of many artists at once. Some offer , which allow access to a large number of works for one fee. This way, artists still get paid even when their work forms part of a collectively licensed repertoire.
Beyond royalties – support and community
Many CMOs also support artists in other ways. They fund cultural projects, help organize exhibitions, and sometimes provide social benefits, such as emergency funds for artists in need. They may also represent artists in political and legal discussions, making sure creators’ voices are heard when copyright laws are changed.
International cooperation: getting paid when art travels
Copyright operates beyond borders, and so does collective management. To make sure artists are paid when their works are used abroad, collective management organizations (CMOs) sign reciprocal representation agreements with their counterparts in other countries. This means that a CMO in one country can collect and distribute royalties on behalf of artists from another.
Imagine your photograph appears in a French exhibition catalogue or your sculpture is shown in a museum in Japan. Under the to which your country is party, your artistic work is protected in both France and Japan if you are able to go to these countries and enforce your rights there. Usually, however, this is not very practical, so being a member of a CMO can help protect your rights internationally: If your CMO has a with a corresponding CMO in France and Japan, the relevant CMOs in France and Japan will be able to collect royalties on your behalf and transmit them back to you through your national CMO.
You can therefore receive royalties when your work is used in another country, as long as (1) the law in that country provides protection for your rights under international agreements and (2) reciprocal agreements between CMOs are in place.
This is especially important for rights such as the , which are not yet recognized everywhere.
The resale right works a little differently from most other rights. Under most international frameworks, a country only has to pay resale royalties to artists from another country if that other country also recognizes the resale right for its own artists — a principle called material reciprocity. This means that even if your country recognizes the , you may not receive resale royalties from a sale abroad unless that country recognizes it too, and your CMO has a in place there.
The system for international cooperation works on two complementary levels:
international umbrella organizations that link and support CMOs worldwide, and
national CMOs that manage artists’ rights locally.
At the global level, several major networks connect national CMOs and support standards and the exchange of information (international umbrella organizations):
CISAC (International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers) – supports authors’ societies across creative sectors including music, visual arts, and literature.
IFRRO (International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations) – focuses on reproduction rights and text/image-based works.
EVA (European Visual Artists) – represents visual authors’ CMOs across Europe.
At the national level, CMOs represent artists directly and handle licensing, royalty collection, and distribution within their country. Some of the oldest and largest CMOs include:
France – ADAGP (Société des Auteurs dans les Arts Graphiques et Plastiques) – represents visual artists across painting, photography, illustration, design, and architecture. Founded by artists such as Marc Chagall and Joan Miró, ADAGP manages reproduction, digital use, and resale rights, and operates under the supervision of the French Ministry of Culture.
United Kingdom – DACS (Design and Artists Copyright Society) – represents tens of thousands of artists, photographers, and designers in the UK. DACS licenses image use, administers resale royalties, and advocates for stronger copyright protection for visual creators.
United States – ARS (Artists Rights Society) – represents over 120,000 artists and estates, including Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Louise Bourgeois, and Kerry James Marshall. ARS licenses reproduction and exhibition rights, monitors image use, and enforces artists’ copyrights in partnership with CMOs worldwide such as ADAGP and DACS.
Germany – VG Bild-Kunst (Verwertungsgesellschaft Bild-Kunst) – represents more than 60,000 visual artists, photographers, illustrators, and filmmakers. It manages royalties for private copying and reprography, manages exclusive rights for fine art artists and also supports cultural and social programs for artists in Germany.
In addition to these well-established organizations, collective management systems also operate across Africa, Latin America, Asia and the Pacific, ensuring that artists in diverse regions benefit from copyright protection and fair remuneration. Examples include: SOMAAP (Sociedad Mexicana de Autores de las Artes Plásticas) in Mexico, which represents visual artists in Mexico, managing rights and royalties for works of the fine arts; JASPAR in Japan, which licenses and monitors the use of artworks by Japanese artists domestically and internationally; and CA (Copyright Agency) in Australia, which licenses the reproduction and public communication rights of visual artists and also collects resale royalty payments. Together, these and similar CMOs around the world form a global network that upholds artists’ rights and strengthens access to fair compensation for creative work.
Why it matters
It is almost impossible for one artist to track every use made of their work across the world. A CMO can offer structure and support and can help artists protect their rights and earn income from their work.
By virtue of their scale, expertise, and collaborative networks, CMOs form the backbone of legal, financial, and cultural infrastructures that empower and sustain creative communities worldwide.
Explore our page on Collective Management in Visual Arts to learn more.
Image credit: RonFullHD