Slovak Performing and Mechanical Rights Society (SOZA)

Established in 1998, the Slovak Performing and Mechanical Rights Society (SOZA) is a legal entity, a not-for-profit civic association founded pursuant to Act No 83/1990 Coll. It represents a common interest based self-government of authors and publishers of musical works who as property right holders administer and pursue the property interests of the society as a whole via their elected bodies.

Since its inception SOZA has operated as a collective manager of copyright to musical works in accordance with licences issued by the Ministry of Culture of the Slovak Republic (MK SR) no.1/1998, and 1/2004. Being a collective copyrights administrator, it issues licences to users of musical works, authorising them to use the musical works. It also collects royalties and distributes them to eligible rights holders (pursuant to §40, §81 of the Copyright Law).

Based on copyright representation agreements it administers the property rights of domestic authors and publishers of musical works.

Based on 60 reciprocal agreements with counterparties, ie sister rights societies abroad, it represents foreign rights holders in Slovak territory while its sister organisations represent Slovak rights holders abroad.

SOZA is a fully-internationally integrated entity. It is a full member of three large worldwide organisations, namely the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC), the Bureau international des sociétés gérant les droits d'enregistrement et de reproduction mécanique (BIEM) and the European Grouping of Societies of Authors and Composers (GESAC).

The chairman of the SOZA board is a jazz musician Matúš Jakabčic. The board consists of 18 members (4 composers of classical music, 3 popular music composers, 2 folklore music adaptation composers, a brass band music composer, 2 lyricists and 6 publishers).

SOZA issues licences for using of musical works: (i) in public musical performances; (ii) via technical equipment; (iii) in juke boxes; (iv) in radio and television broadcasting; (v) via cable retransmission; (vi) on audio or audiovisual carriers; (vii) in theatres (archived music); (viii) in public film screenings; and (ix) via the Internet and other similar networks.

SOZA also collects remunerations of blank carriers and recording devices on behalf of other Slovak collective administrators.