(as adopted at the founding meeting - 21st July 1981)

1. OBJECTS

The Association called ‘British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association’ referred to in these rules as ‘the Association’ found on July 1981 shall have the overall object of being the British National Group of The International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI) founded in Paris on 28th June 1878. It shall provide a British forum for the examination of matters affecting authors’ rights and neighbouring rights; as such its specific objects shall be similar to those of ALAI, namely:

(a) the defence and propagation of legal principles ensuring international protection of authors’ rights and all matters relating thereto:

(b) the study and comparison of national copyright laws, of projects tending to develop, perfect and unify these laws and of other laws designed to ensure the recognition and legal protection of authors in all countries;

(c) the improvement and extension of application, especially by revision, of the International Conventions relating to copyright especially the Berne Convention and the Universal Copyright Convention, as well as the drawing up of all new International Conventions devoted to the same end;

(d) the examination of all new measures tending to establish or modify any right related to authors’ rights or neighbouring rights especially by way of International Conventions;

(e) the participation in studies and activities of national or international organisations pursuing the same ends.

The Association shall seek, whenever practicable to achieve the above objects on the international level through the medium of ALAI.

2. MEMBERSHIP

a) Admission

Any natural person domiciled or resident in the British Isles and having an interest in the furtherance of the Association’s objects may apply for membership of the Association and it shall be within the absolute discretion of the Executive Committee whether to admit such applicant to membership except as provided in Article 2(b)(i).

b) Categories

The membership categories shall be:

Honorary members: this category shall be for persons designated ‘Honorary Member’ by the General Meeting on the proposal of the Executive Committee as persons having rendered outstanding services to the cause of copyright; membership in this category shall confer the right to attend and vote at General Meetings and carries exemption from the payment of membership subscription.
Subscribing members: this category shall be for other persons and shall be subdivided into such further categories at the General Meeting shall determine in accordance with Article 4(a); subscribing members shall be required to pay such annual subscription in respect of their membership as the Executive Committee shall determine in accordance with that Article and be entitled to attend and vote at General Meetings provided that their subscription is not in arrears.

c) Termination

Membership shall terminate:

by resignation of the member notified to the Association in writing:
by removal of the member’s name from the register of membership for reason of non-compliance with a request for payment of the appropriate membership subscription made in writing not less than 28 days prior thereto;
by removal of a member’s name from the register of membership because in the opinion of the Executive Committee the continuation of that membership would not be compatible with the furtherance of the Association’s objects; the discretion of the Executive Committee in this respect shall be absolute but shall be exercised only after the member shall have been requested in writing by the Committee at least 28 days prior thereto to give explanations to it and has either failed to do so within the time specified in such request or has done so but not to the satisfaction of the Committee.

3. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

a) Composition

The Executive Committee shall consist of the following elected by the General Meeting from among its membership in accordance with Article 4(a) and co-opted in accordance with Article 3(b);

the Chairman;
two Vice-Chairmen; the Secretary; the Treasurer: four subscribing members;

b) Co-option

The Committee shall have the power to co-opt to its membership not more than two members of the Association in any category to serve in addition to those elected under Article 3(a).
The Committee shall additionally have power to fill any casual vacancy arising in its membership for the period preceding an election in accordance with Article 4(a) by co-opting from among the members of the Association.

c) Functions

The functions of the Committee shall be to manage the affairs of the Association, to prepare the meetings and execute the decisions of the General Meeting, to determine the rate or rates of annual subscription subject to Article 4(a)(ii) and to decided on the admission of applicants to membership of the Association.

d) Voting

Each member of the Committee shall have one vote and decisions of the Committee shall be taken on the basis of a simple majority of votes subject always to the presence of not less than four members of the Committee.

e) Meetings

Meetings of the Committee shall be convened by the Secretary at the request of the Chairman or any four members of the Committee.

f) Notice

Unless otherwise agreed by all members of the Committee written notice of meetings shall be addressed by the Secretary to them at least 21 days prior thereto accompanied by the agenda.

g) Invitees

The Committee shall have power to invite such persons as it shall in its absolute discretion deem fit to attend any part of its meetings without power to vote.

h) Sub-Committees

The Committee shall have power to establish such sub-committees as it shall deem appropriate to assist in the execution of its functions.

4. GENERAL MEETING

a) Function

The members shall meet in Ordinary General Meeting once in every two calendar years to carry out the following:

to review the activities of the Executive Committee and take such policy decisions as the General Meeting shall deem fit;
to consider and fix the maximum rate or rates of membership subscription to last for such period as the General Meeting shall deem fit in respect of such different classes of subscribing members as it may establish;
to elect from among the membership to hold office for the period until a similar election at the next Ordinary Meeting;
(a) a Chairman; (b) two Vice-Chairmen; (c) a Secretary; (d) a Treasurer; (e) four subscribing members to serve on the Executive Committee.

Those elected shall be eligible for re-election.

b) Voting

Each member shall have one vote and decisions of the General Meeting shall be taken by simple majority of the members present and represented subject always to a quorum of not less than one-tenth of the membership of the Association except as provided in Articles 7 and 8.

c) Meetings

General Meetings shall be convened by the Secretary on the decision of the Executive Committee or at the written request of not less than one-third of the membership of the Association.

d) Notice

Unless otherwise agreed by all members of the Association written notice of General Meetings shall be addressed by the Secretary to them at least 28 days prior thereto accompanied by the agenda.

e) Proxies

Any member may be represented at General Meetings by a proxy appointed in writing for that purpose provided that a copy of the instrument of appointment signed by the member is deposited with the Secretary not less than 48 hours prior to the commencement of the meeting.

5. SECRETARY

a) The Secretary shall be elected by the General Meeting in accordance with Article 4(a)(iii) or co-opted by the Executive Committee in accordance with Article 3(b)(ii) and shall exercise the following functions:

(i) to convene and service General Meetings and meetings of the Executive Committee in accordance with these Articles and to keep minutes of the proceedings thereof;

(ii) to keep a register of members and to deal with all correspondence relating to membership;

(iii) to deal with the administration of the Association’s general affairs in accordance with the directions of the General Meeting and the Executive Committee.

Treasurer

(b) The Treasurer shall be elected in General Meeting in accordance with Article 4(a)(iii) or co-opted by the Executive Committee in accordance with Article 3(b)(ii) and shall exercise the following functions:

(i) to prepare a report each year on the accounts and financial situation of the Association for circulation to the membership;

(ii) to deal with the administration of the Association’s financial affairs in accordance with the directions of the General Meeting and the Executive Committee.

6. FOUNDING

(a) The Executive Committee of the Association shall in the first instance be composed of the persons elected by the meeting at which the Association is founded to fill the positions set out in Article 4(a)(iii), sub-paragraphs (a) to (e); they shall serve in office until an election in accordance with Article 4(a) and shall be eligible for re-election.

(b) The committee founding the Association shall fix the maximum rate or rates of membership subscription in respect of such different classes of subscribing members of the Association as it may establish; such maximum rate or rates and classes shall remain in operation until the first General Meeting of the Association.

7. AMENDMENT OF RULES

These rules shall be amended only be decision of the Association in General Meeting at an Extraordinary Meeting convened for that purpose as follows:

On the first summoning a quorum of not less than one-third of the membership present in person or represented shall be required and if no such quorum exists the General Meeting shall not then vote on the amendment but may reconvene with due notice to all members not sooner than one month after the first summoning whereupon the meeting may proceed to vote on the amendment subject to the presence of a quorum of not less than one-tenth of the membership in person or represented.

8. DISSOLUTION

(a) The Association shall be dissolved only be decision in General Meeting at an Extraordinary Meeting convened for that purpose as follows:

on the first summoning a quorum of not less than one-third of the membership present in person or represented shall be required and if no such quorum exists the General Meeting shall not then vote on the amendment but may reconvene with due notice to all members not sooner than one month after the first summoning whereupon the meeting may proceed to vote on the amendment subject to the presence of a quorum of not less than one-tenth of the membership in person or represented.

(b) A meeting deciding on dissolution shall also appoint one or more persons to liquidate the assets of the Association in accordance with such directions as that meeting shall establish.

The British Literary and

Artistic Copyright Association