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Disclaimer
The information on this page is provided for guidance and illustration only. It describes common industry practices and best practices for entering rights data in Reprtoir in a way that is CWR compliant.
In practice, requirements may vary depending on your contracts, your partners, and the rules of each CMO/PRO/MRO. Always communicate with your partners (Publishers, Sub-Publishers, Administrators) before exchanging data, and confirm expectations with the relevant society. Running tests before sending official deliveries is strongly recommended.

Ownership vs. Collection

Ownership defines the legal reality: who owns what share of a work, based on contracts between authors, composers, and publishers.
Collection defines the practical administration: who is authorized to collect royalties for those shares, and in which territories.

In industry practice:

When data is sent to a CMO/PRO/MRO for registration (Publishing or Co-Publishing), the convention is to share ownership only. This enables societies to register, process, and distribute royalties correctly.
When data is exchanged between partners (for example, from a Publisher to a Sub-Publisher, or from a Publisher to an Administrator), the convention is also to share ownership only. The partner is responsible for enriching the data with collection details when filing with their own society.
When data is sent to a CMO/PRO/MRO for Sub-Publishing or Administration, it must include both ownership and collection for the controlled shares and territories. This ensures that the society can properly recognize mandates and distribute royalties according to the agreement.

This distinction ensures clarity: CMOs receive all the information they require, while partners maintain control over their own administration details.

Best Practices: Who Declares What

In industry practice, the payload of data you send depends on the type of declaration:

Scenario	What to Send	Why
Registration of a New Work to your CMO (CWR NWR)	Ownership only	The CMO handles collection locally, and internationally through reciprocal agreements (CISAC network), unless you decide to appoint partners for certain territories.
Exchange between Partners (Publisher → Sub-Publisher or Administrator)	Ownership only	Partners must add their own collection rules, as they know the specifics of their local CMO and any required Agreement Numbers.
Registration of Sub-Publishing or Administration to a CMO	Ownership + Collection for the controlled shares and territories	Societies need both ownership and collection information to process royalties correctly.

⚠️ Depending on your contracts and the societies you work with, these practices may vary. Always confirm expectations with your partners and CMOs before sending data.

Controlled vs. Uncontrolled Shares

Controlled Shares are the rights that a company manages through contracts or mandates.
Uncontrolled Shares belong to contributors outside that company’s control, but they still need to be declared for a complete and transparent chain of rights.

Best Practices

Controlled shares should always be declared. Uncontrolled shares may also be declared, but only for ownership (not collection). This ensures that the chain of rights remains transparent without creating duplicate collection claims.

Worldwide vs. Territorial Rules

Worldwide Rules apply when rights are administered globally (e.g., by an Original Publisher or an Administrator with a worldwide mandate).
Territorial Rules apply when rights are limited to specific countries or regions (e.g., Sub-Publishing or Administration in France, Germany, Benelux, etc.).

In Reprtoir:

The Worldwide box always reflects ownership rights.
Territorial boxes are added to declare specific collection rules for Sub-Publishers or Administrators.