Public Lending Rights

According to the Irish Writers Union the long-awaited Public Lending Right (PLR) scheme has finally come into effect.

Until yesterday, Irish writers have never been paid for the lending of their works via the Irish public library system. The EU ruled that Ireland failed to comply with a 1992 directive on the matter, and in September the Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2007 was passed in the Seanad.

Irish writers can now expect a regular modest payment for when their books are borrowed from Irish libraries.