AWGACS was established in 1996 as the copyright collecting society for screenwriters from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Notices for members 10/03/2026 - Regarding the new membership agreement: It is essential all screen authors sign the new membership agreement. When you sign your right to secondary royalties to AWGACS, it cannot be transferred to a third party. Members voted for this change at a General Meeting on 6th of June 2024 to see an increase in royalties to screen authors. To sign the new agreement, click on the button below: New membership agreement Distribution has commenced, and the member portal is open. The distribution for 2024-25 income has begun. If you have royalties to collect, you will have received an email or letter in the post from us. Please continue to email AWGACS any issues or questions relating to distribution or the member portal. WHAT IS AWGACS? AWGACS was established in 1996 as the copyright collecting society for screen authors from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Since then, we have collected over $33 million dollars for members and authors from around the world. Join now to protect your right to secondary royalties - it's free! Join AWGACS Now Unable to contact list NEWS Australian creative workers welcome passing of Australian Content Requirements Bill for streamers Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025 through Parliament. Nov 27, 2025 Australian Writers’ Guild welcomes announcement of screen content requirements for streaming services The AWG has welcomed Arts Minister Tony Burke’s announcement that new screen content requirements for streaming services will require major streaming services to make new Australian content. “Amid global uncertainty, the government has said it wants to ensure a future for Australian content,” said AWG CEO Claire Pullen . "Our members work in a volatile market where streaming platforms wield enormous power. There is a growing disparity between broadcast and streaming in terms Nov 5, 2025 More Posts

FAQs | Resources & Forms FAQs What are secondary royalties? Secondary royalties arise from the secondary usage of your audiovisual work. In Australia, secondary royalties are generated from government use, educational use and retransmission. In New Zealand, you may receive royalties for educational usage. Many more types of secondary usages exist around the world. Will I receive money every year? The nature of secondary royalties is unpredictable but if we have distributable royalties for you, we will let you know. How do you know what I’ve written? Our extensive database is kept up to date by our staff but we also rely on our members letting us know when they've written something new. Can my royalties go to my agent? We will transfer your royalties into your nominated bank account. How much does it cost to join AWGACS? It is free to join AWGACS. Resources New membership agreement AWGACS Writing Credits Form

PRIVACY POLICY The Australian Writers’ Guild Ltd (AWG) and the Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society Ltd (AWGACS) take your privacy very seriously. This Privacy Policy sets out how AWG and AWGACS protect and handle your personal information through adopting the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) contained in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act). Our Privacy Policy may change from time to time, but you’ll find the current version below in a question and answer format. What is personal information? When referring to ‘personal information’, we mean information which identifies you as an individual or from which your identity can be reasonably ascertained. Your name or pseudonym, your postal address or email address and/or your phone number are examples of personal information. What is sensitive information? Sensitive information is a subset of personal information. The Privacy Act imposes special obligations where sensitive information is collected, used and disclosed. We collect some forms of sensitive information, including details about membership of professional or trade associations (including your membership of other collecting societies and guilds) and Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status. AWG will not collect sensitive information about you unless you consent (we take your provision of the information to be consent to its collection), and the information is reasonably necessary for one or more of our functions or activities. If AWG holds any sensitive personal information about you, that information will only be used and disclosed by AWG for the purpose that it was provided by you. What personal information does the AWG collect and hold? We only collect personal information that is reasonably necessary for us to perform one or more of our functions or activities. Depending upon the circumstances you may provide to us, and we may collect, information such as, but not limited to: your name; your pseudonym; your gender; your date of birth; your contact information; your marital status; your employer and job title; your educational qualifications; your contractual information; your bank account details for electronic funds transfer payments; your lists of works Some personal information you may provide to us, and we may collect, is considered sensitive information. We only collect sensitive information where we have received your consent to that information being collected, used, disclosed and stored in accordance with this Privacy Policy. This information includes: details of other professional memberships and associations (including other collecting society and guilds); your nationality and Australian residency status; your political opinions; your political party membership (if any); your racial or ethnic origin; your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander status; your sexual orientation; any disabilities, illnesses or injuries you may have; and/or any other health information. How does the AWG collect and hold information? Wherever possible, we collect personal information about you directly from you. For example, when you submit a membership registration form, enter a competition, fill out a survey, register to access the AWG’s Pathways website or nominate yourself for a Pathways program. AWG may also collect your personal information from third parties in accordance with the requirements of the APPs, including from: other rightsholders in a work, including co-writers. This personal information is restricted to information which will assist AWG in member recruitment, such as contact information; the public domain including social media, industry directories, industry guides, and the Internet; similar organisations in other countries; and funding agencies, such as Screen Australia, Film Victoria and Screen NSW, among others. In common with many websites, when you read, browse or download information from our website, we may also collect information such as the date and time of your visit to the website, the pages accessed, and any information downloaded. This information is used for statistical, reporting and website administration, security, maintenance and improvement purposes. Like many websites, our websites may use ‘cookies’ from time to time. Cookies are small text files that we transfer to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser to enable our systems to recognise your browser. Cookies may also be used to record information such as the date, time or duration of your visit, or the pages accessed, for website administration, security, statistical and maintenance purposes. Irrespective of whether personal information is stored electronically or in hard copy form, we take reasonable steps to protect the personal information we hold from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Our websites provide facilities for the secure transmission of information across the internet. However, users should be aware that there are inherent risks transmitting information across the internet. We keep your hard-copy or electronic records on our premises and systems or offsite using trusted third parties. Our security safeguards include: training and reminding our staff of their obligations regarding your information; when we send information overseas, or use third parties that handle or store data, we ensure that appropriate data handling and security arrangements are in place; and where practical, we keep information only for as long as required. How do we use personal information? Where we collect and hold personal information, it is collected and held for our business purposes, to fulfil our legal obligations and to keep members informed of our activities and services. Our business purposes are set out in detail on our website . We may also use and disclose your personal information in the following circumstances: to manage memberships and access to services provided by us such as industrial advice and script assessment and registration services; to overseas and local collecting societies in relation to the collection and distribution of international and domestic royalties for the use of your works; to persons authorised by you, such as your agent or manager; to government bodies and agencies, including state and national funding bodies; to third party specialists we engage to provide us with legal, administrative, financial, insurance, research, marketing or other services; to support our advocacy projects on behalf of members and in industry studies carried out by us or on our behalf; to administer the Pathways program, including assessing and processing nominations and applications and liaising with members and industry about projects and writers; and in relation to other secondary purposes you might reasonably expect us to use your personal information for in connection with the primary purposes outlined above. This is not an exhaustive list. We may also use and disclose your personal information for any other purpose to which you have consented, which you would reasonably expect the personal information to be used or disclosed and in other ways subject to the requirements of the APPs. Do we send your personal information overseas? We may disclose your personal information to overseas collecting societies that collect and distribute royalties and that have a reciprocal agreement with us or with which we have an agreement to share information. We have partnerships with 29 overseas collecting societies that are listed here on our website. Information is disclosed to these overseas recipients for the purpose of collecting payments for the use of members’ works in these countries. How can I access or correct my personal information? To make a request to access or correct any personal information we hold about you, please contact our Privacy Officer via the details provided below. If you would like to access your personal information, please provide us with as much detail as you can about the information you seek to help us retrieve it. We will not charge you for making a request to access or correct your personal information. However, a reasonable fee may be charged for providing access to your personal information, where permitted by law. In certain circumstances, we may not be required by law to provide you with access or to correct your personal information. If that is the case, we will give you our reasons for that decision. We take reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we collect, use and disclose is accurate, complete and up-to-date. Questions and complaints If you have any questions or concerns about AWG’s handling of your personal information, please contact us at privacy@awg.com.au or by mail: Privacy Officer Australian Writers’ Guild Level 4, 70 Pitt Street Sydney NSW 2000 If you have a complaint relating to a breach of the APPs by AWG, you should contact our Privacy Officer at the details provided above. AWG will investigate your complaint and respond to you within a reasonable time in accordance with our legal obligations. AWG will take any necessary corrective actions promptly. Further information For more information about your right to privacy please visit the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner’s website at www.oaic.gov.au . Last updated May 2024

Australia’s screen creatives have today welcomed the passing of the  Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025  through Parliament. The legislation means streaming services are now included in the requirement to make a certain level of Australian content, via spending a percentage of their expenditure on new local drama, children’s, and documentary programs. Australian Writers’ Guild ( AWG ) and Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society ( AWGACS ) CEO  Claire Pullen  said, “This is a watershed moment for Australia’s screen industry. This will give our members and the entire creative community more certainty around their careers, and the industry here at home.” “Securing local content quotas is a significant step forward in levelling the playing field for streamers and broadcasters, and it acts as a strong reminder of what we’ve been continually told – that Australians want to see more Aussie content on their screens,” said Pullen. “We congratulate the Albanese Government, Arts Minister Tony Burke, Communications Minister Anika Wells and the many members of Parliament who’ve supported the campaign over the years on this achievement.” The Australian Writers’ Guild has worked alongside fellow screen industry guilds and members of the Make It Australian campaign for local content requirements for streaming video on demand services (SVODs) since September 2017. AWG President and Logie Award-winning showrunner  Peter Mattessi  said, “This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, and we thank the many writer members, our fellow creatives and industry leaders who’ve given of their time and expertise to advocate for our industry and for Australian stories over the last eight years.” “This legislation is the first step in building a stronger, more robust Australian screen industry. There’s more to do, but this is an exciting moment, and an opportunity to position Australian stories at the centre of national and international conversations,” said Mattessi. “As we head into 2026 and planning for a new National Cultural Policy, we are pleased to have this vital piece of Revive marked off the list so we can continue what we do best – telling great Australian stories.” AWGACS President  Sam Meikle  said, “The fight to preserve the vital place for Australian stories on Australian screens has been won. This is the first step in seeing more Australian stories, and guaranteeing career pathways for Australian screen workers – roundly known to be among the best in the world. We make great television. Now the world will get to see more of it, and Australian writers are ready to lead the charge.”

The AWG has welcomed Arts Minister Tony Burke’s announcement that new screen content requirements for streaming services will require major streaming services to make new Australian content. “Amid global uncertainty, the government has said it wants to ensure a future for Australian content,” said AWG CEO Claire Pullen . "Our members work in a volatile market where streaming platforms wield enormous power. There is a growing disparity between broadcast and streaming in terms of how they give back to the community and our local industry, even as streaming comes to dominate how we watch shows and films." AWG President and Logie Award-winning showrunner Peter Mattessi said, "World events move fast and impact our industry in many different ways. Meanwhile, streaming platforms are taking billions of dollars out of the country in subscription fees from Australians – Australians who tell us over and over again that they want to see more Australian content on their screens." "It has been a long road to get to this point and after lengthy conversations with Government, we are pleased to see our input incorporated into this model, and to see our nation once again require those who deliver screen content to invest in the importance of Australian storytellers telling Australian stories." Read the full statement HERE . What will screen content requirements for streaming services look like? The Government has stated that: "legislation to be introduced in Parliament will mandate streaming services with more than one million Australian subscribers will need to invest at least 10 per cent of their total expenditure for Australia – or 7.5 per cent of their revenue – on new local drama, children’s, documentary, arts and educational programs". Read the full announcement HERE .

In opening remarks to a Senate inquiry on Tuesday, Australian Writers’ Guild ( AWG ) and Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society ( AWGACS ) CEO Claire Pullen joined other creative leaders and Senators in criticising the Productivity Commission for failing to model the economic contribution of creative industries. Australia’s creative workers raised questions over the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report, including whether the Commission is fit to publish recommendations that include dismantling existing copyright protections when it has not undertaken detailed analysis of the copyright issues at play. Appearing before the Inquiry into the National Cultural Report, the Productivity Commission was  lambasted  by senators as turning their backs on Australia’s creative industries. Pressed on the impact a Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception might have on the creative economy, which brings in upwards of $90 billion or 2% of Australia’s GDP, the Commission admitted that no modelling was undertaken prior to the Interim Report being published. In her opening remarks to the Committee, Pullen pointed out the Guild had done more modelling than the Productivity Commission. “It is staggering that the Productivity Commission could dedicate so much of their time to pushing the unfounded benefits of AI and a TDM exception without a shred of evidence to back up its claims,” says Pullen. “How are we as creative industries or the Government, tasked with regulating AI, meant to respond to anything in the Interim Report when the basic question of how our industries will be impacted was not even considered?” says Pullen. In response to the lack of modelling provided by the Commission, the Australian Writers’ Guild commissioned modelling of their own, estimating that AI could see over $1.7 billion in lost wages and 2000 creative jobs slashed by 2035. Australian writers currently set in motion over $1 billion in economic activity. “We are deeply disappointed that the Productivity Commission appears not to take seriously the economic contribution of the creative industries to our economy,” says Pullen. As expressed in their submission, the AWG and AWGACS maintain that the starting position on AI has to be that tech companies are asked how they will rectify the copyright theft and moral rights infringements that have already taken place. “The Productivity Commission should be examining the cost to our economy of failing to enforce Australian law as creative jobs are destroyed,” says Pullen.