Digital lending rights claims deadline extended

The federal government has extended the deadline for new title claims under its extended lending rights scheme, which now covers digital formats. 

Claimants will now have until 30 June 2023 to submit new title claims for ebooks and audiobooks for the 2023–2024 program, with the first payments under the Lending Right Schemes to include digital material to be made in June 2024.

Title claims submitted after the extended deadline of 30 June and title claims for all books published in 2023 will be processed in a future program year.

The federal government announced the expansion of the lending rights scheme to include digital formats in January, as part of its Revive arts policy.

From 3 April 2023, publishers and authors are able to submit new lending rights claims for ebooks and audiobooks published within the past five years via Lending Rights Online. Ebook and audiobook versions of existing titles will not be registered automatically on the Lending Rights system; instead, publishers and authors need to submit new title claims for these.

At present a multi-title upload mechanism is not available and individual titles must be manually added; however, Books+Publishing understands that government is investigating this option for the future. 

In announcing the extended claim deadline, the government stated that new claims would not affect this year’s PLR and ELR payments, due to be made in June.

Category: Local news