About Us

OSA- Ochranný svaz autorský pro práva k dílům hudebním, z. s., is a professional association of composers, lyricists and musical publishers that follows up the activities of Ochranné sdružení spisovatelů, skladatelů a nakladatelů hudebních děl, zapsané společenstvo s ručením omezeným, which was established in 1919 by Karel Hašler, Rudolf Piskáček, Arnošt Hermann, Josef Šváb, František Šmíd, Eduard Joudal, Emil Štolc, Otakar Hanuš, and Karel Barvicius. One of the first directors was a son of the composer Antonín Dvořák.

OSA is also one of the founding members of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers CISAC (in 1926) and Bureau International des sociétés gérant les droits des enregistrements et de reproduction mécanique BIEM (in 1929).

The mission of OSA is the management of economic copyrights of composers, lyricists, the heirs of copyrights and publishers by law or based on an agreement, however, not interprets (singers) of these compositions. For the purpose of as much wide as possible territorial and repertoire coverage, Ochranný svaz autorský concluded contracts with sister societies worldwide, by which it offers a unique opportunity to authors to be paid automatically for music played in most of the territories of the world. At present, OSA manages rights for the territory of the Czech Republic based on a contracting relationship directly with the rights holder or with its foreign sister society and offers repertoire of five million rights holders from various parts of the world, including more than 12 000 domestic rights holders. The rights of foreign rights holders are managed by OSA by means of reciprocal agreements concluded with 100 authors’ societies worldwide.

Owing to wide international background and almost one hundred years long tradition in enforcing copyrights inland as well as abroad, we try to make such conditions for authors so that they have peace and time for their own production. At the same time, we offer simple and easy access to music of authors from all over the world and across all music styles for the users of musical works. Consequently, OSA creates by its activities an imaginary bridge between authors and the users of their production.

Subject of activity

The collective management of ownership copyrights to musical pieces with or without lyrics and to other copyrighted works within the meaning of the Copyright Act and disclosure of these works to the public and related activities on the basis of an authorization granted by the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic or on the basis of a commission granted to OSA by other collective management organization, all of these are the main subjects of business of OSA. OSA further performs agency activities on the basis of an issued trade licence. Within the agency, it also grants licences on the basis of an individual commission from individual rights holders.

History

2024

Shortening the name to OSA, z.s.

Shortening the name to OSA, z.s. better describes the current identity and history of the Society. The new, simpler name is more modern, easier to remember and better suited to current needs and communication trends. It follows the first republican name "Ochranné sdružení autorské".

2021

Monthly accounting of royalties introduced

The OSA was one of the first authors' organisations in the world to send monthly royalty payments to authors.

2019

Launch of an e-shop for the purchase of licences for reproduced music

The OSA is the only organisation to offer the possibility of licensing copyrighted works for reproduced music in public spaces through an e-shop. The e-shop includes an online calculator to work out how much a licence for both reproduced and live music will cost.

2018

OSA as a single collection point for all collective administrators in the Czech Republic

Users of musical works conclude only one licence agreement for live or recorded music events and receive one invoice for all domestic collective administrators. The OSA then forwards the royalties collected to the individual collecting societies according to their price lists.

2010

Quarterly royalty statements introduced

The OSA is the only collecting society in the world that regularly pays royalties to represented authors in March, June, September and December of each year.

2010

Creation of a grant programme to support music creation

Through the Partnership Grant Programme, OSA supports represented artists and their work, seeks out new talent and supports charitable projects.

2009

Cooperation with YouTube signed

2006

OSA Annual Awards

This was the first year of the OSA Annual Awards, the only awards in the Czech Republic for composers, lyricists and publishers. The OSA Annual Awards recognise work in both classical and popular music, bringing together composers from different musical genres.

1990

The authors themselves take over the management of the OSA

In the period before November 1989, the OSA, like other cultural organisations in Czechoslovakia, was controlled by the ruling communist establishment.
On the initiative of the OSA's Civic Workers' Forum, a working assembly of represented authors met on 13 January 1990 and expressed confidence in the newly elected OSA committee. The administration of the OSA was thus fully returned to the authors.

1956

Renewed collaboration with CISAC and BIEM

Cooperation with the international organisations CISAC and BIEM has been renewed.

1946

Rebuilding the OSA after the Second World War

In a period of post-war vigour and optimism, the OSA operated under the name of the Copyright Protection Association. During the year, relations with foreign copyright societies, which had been interrupted by the war, were gradually re-established.
The OSA initiates a number of new principles and ideas which are gradually incorporated into the CISAC principles and become internationally recognised. On the last day of 1946, the OSA informs the Statistical Office that it has 293 members, 55 employees and a house with 28 rooms, 20 of which it uses and 8 of which it rents.

1942

OSA during the Protectorate

The OSA lost its independence under the weight of the war, and in 1942 the Reich Protector granted STAGMA permission to use music in the Protectorate and ordered the liquidation of the OSA.
The liquidation lasted three years - at least on paper and in reports to the Reich Protector. In reality, the OSA continued to exist. Its board of directors met in secret, as did most of its members. After the liberation of Czechoslovakia in 1945, it was enough to remove the notation "in liquidation" from the relevant registers and the OSA's activities continued.

1933

OSA's new headquarters

In an unprecedented show of solidarity, the authors sacrificed their royalties for 3 years in order to buy a house in Dr. Albín Bráf Street. Since 1950 this street has been called Ceskoslovenske armady Street. The building was a gift from the composers and poets of that time to their future generations.

1929

Co-founder of BIEM

OSA became one of the founding members of BIEM - the International Organisation for the Protection of Mechanical Reproduction Rights.

1926

Adoption of the Copyright Act, co-founding of CISAC

The OSA was actively involved in the preparation of the Copyright Act, which culminated in its adoption on 24 November 1926. It was a very successful law, well respected abroad, and the OSA played a major role in its creation. Authors of music were granted not only public performance rights, but also broadcasting and mechanical rights. This later proved to be very important in the relationship between authors and music publishers and the recording industry.
In the same year, the OSA became one of the founding members of CISAC - the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers.

1924

Cooperation with other countries

10 reciprocal agreements for the mutual protection of repertoires with foreign partner organisations in Europe.

1922

Evolution

We can only admire the pioneering work of the founders and early members of the OSA. They were able to formulate the principles on which OSA still operates today. Thanks to the cooperative structure, artists' financial affairs remain in their own hands and they decide on their own copyrights. Gradually, a number of important musicians joined the OSA, including Leoš Janáček.

1921

Adoption of the Berne Convention

The birth of the OSA is almost identical to the establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic, but this creates an uncomfortable duality from a legal point of view, which affects the functioning of the OSA. Austrian legislation applied to the Czech lands, and Hungarian legislation to Slovakia and Subcarpathian Ruthenia. The ratification of the Berne Convention by Czechoslovakia in 1921 marked the beginning of long negotiations on a common copyright regime.

1919

Founding

The General Assembly of the Protective Association of Writers, Composers and Publishers of Musical Works was held on 9 October 1919. The founding members were Czech composers, writers and publishers, including the popular composer Karel Hašler. One of the first directors of the OSA was Otakar Dvořák, son of the composer Antonín Dvořák. The following year, the prominent Czech composer J. B. Foerster was elected chairman of the committee.

Cookies setting