This section provides a background and description of how CLA is governed, managed and operated. It also includes profiles of the current CLA board directors.
Introduction
Corporate governance is a term used to describe the system by which a company is directed and controlled.
Governance of a company is the responsibility of the board of directors and this includes setting strategic aims, providing leadership, supervising the management of the business and reporting to shareholders on their stewardship. Directors also have legal responsibilities defined under the Companies Act.
The role of executive and senior management is to carry out those aims.
Good governance is important in providing a strong framework of focus and accountability that enables a company to perform effectively.
The Board of CLA recognises that good governance helps the business to deliver strategy, generate value and safeguarding stakeholders long-term interests and we are committed to the highest standards of corporate governance. The Board considers that CLA complied in all respects with the practice of good governance required by a company of its form and standing.
Read CLA's Articles of Association.
Read more about the CLA board.
CLA's legal status
The Copyright Licensing Agency Limited (CLA) is a private company limited by guarantee.
As such, CLA has no share capital or shareholders but has two members, the Authors' Licensing and Collecting Society Ltd. (ALCS) and the Publishers' Licensing Society Ltd. (PLS), who are joint owners.
To enable CLA to operate, ALCS and PLS have granted the rights to CLA to issue licences permitting copying from books, journals, magazines and digital material published in the UK.
A series of international repertoire exchange agreements with equivalent organisations in other countries gives CLA similar authority for overseas publications.
An agency agreement with the Design and Artists Copyright Society Ltd. (DACS) means CLA are able to include in its licences, artistic works that are contained within books, journals and magazines that are copied.
CLA should be considered a "Licensing Body" for the purposes of the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 and is the promoter of various "Licensing Schemes" as defined in the Act.
Our vision
- To provide the best collective licensing solutions for customers on behalf of publishers, artists and writers.
Our mission
- To facilitate legal use of copyright content through collective licensing.
- To provide licensing solutions complementary to the primary activities of publishers, artists and writers.
- To maximise the reward to publishers, artists and writers.
- To offer the widest repertoire to our customers.
- To promote a positive view of copyright
Our values
- Efficiency
- Fairness
- Honesty
- Respect
- Transparency
- Trust
CLA has introduced a Code of Conduct which sets out details about CLA, its licences and licence fees and the standards of behaviour and service it aims to achieve in its dealings with licensees and other copyright users. Read the CLA Code of Conduct
