“Society No Longer Sees Us as a Den of Thieves”

Antonio Onetti (Seville, 62 years old) sounds satisfied on the other end of the phone line. The president of the Spanish General Society of Authors and Publishers (SGAE) will conclude his term in November and is still undecided about running again. However, he is convinced that after these four years, “we are at the end of a stage.” A cycle that nearly led SGAE to extinction, with the Ministry of Culture threatening to revoke its license and expulsion from the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (Cisac). Having resolved the issue, “in 2022 and 2023 we nearly reached 350 million euros in revenue, which is the revenue we had in 2007,” Onetti proudly states. Nevertheless, “a consolidation phase is needed,” emphasizes the screenwriter and playwright.

-Your term as president of SGAE concludes in November. What is your assessment of this period? What have been the successes and mistakes?

-My immediate goal was to save SGAE. We were under threat of having our license revoked by the Ministry of Culture and were expelled from Cisac. If this had not been resolved, SGAE would have disappeared. The severity was extreme. I was fortunate to have a board of directors that agreed on fixing this situation by changing the statutes and distribution regulations to eliminate distortions.

-You are referring to 'the wheel' case, where some members earned significant author royalties from late-night TV appearances with minimal audiences.

-Exactly. These were programs where a song aired at 3 AM with a 1% audience could generate more royalties than another song aired during prime time. It was an absurdity, especially for the rest of the world because we also represent international authors in Spain and collect royalties for them through reciprocal agreements with all management entities.

-What is the current situation?

-The situation has normalized. Cisac, in one of its latest reports, states that we are the ninth most important management entity globally in terms of revenue. Our relations with the Ministry of Culture have greatly improved, and they lifted the warning about revoking our license. In 2022 and 2023, we nearly reached 350 million euros in revenue, matching our 2007 figures. Comparing authors receiving royalties in 2019 versus 2023 shows an increase from 37,000 to 83,000 authors—more than double. We are collecting and distributing better.

-What remains to be done?

-A million things, although I believe we have tackled the major issues. SGAE is a multi-repertoire entity: music, performing arts, and audiovisual. We have made changes affecting all categories but now need to delve deeper into improvements for each specific area.

-How did it reach that point?

-Because SGAE’s regulations allowed it. We have changed them, but that doesn’t mean it’s permanent. A consolidation phase is necessary for everything to settle.

-In your initial interviews as SGAE president, you aspired for members to feel proud again. Have you achieved this?

-That’s more challenging, but I believe some members are starting to wear the SGAE badge again. We have significantly improved relations with members, institutions, and society, which now sees SGAE as normal rather than a den of thieves. That stigma no longer exists.

-Will you run again?

-I don’t know yet. It’s too early to discuss that. Previously candidates ran individually, but with changes in statutes, candidacies are now joint and closed teams. If I find a team that supports me and is willing to continue this path, then yes, I might run again—but I still need to think about it.

-This year marks SGAE’s 125th anniversary. How would you describe its current situation?

-After these last four years—the first full term since 2011—we are closing a stage that began around 2005-2007 when issues with internet piracy arose and SGAE was portrayed as the villain. This coincides with our 125th anniversary, allowing us to observe certain things.

-What things?

-For example, a month or two ago we held an urban music concert in Seville at Cartuja Theater with around 3,500 young attendees aged between 15 and 20 years old—Villano Antillano, Judeline... You could see that this generation no longer holds prejudices against SGAE.

-No disenchantment?

-On the contrary; we received hundreds of messages on social media thanking SGAE. I was there thinking: “Wow, what SGAE used to be compared to this” (laughs). This generation consumes content from authors who are also ours. As soon as they realize that author rights equate to money, they sign up to collect it naturally—and their audience sees us as perfectly normal.

-Have you ever regretted getting involved in this mess?

-(Laughs) No. I got involved because I’ve been a member for 35 years and have lived off the royalties distributed by SGAE for my work and creations; it pained me to see it in such a state. But I’ve continued working and writing throughout.

-As a writer, screenwriter, and playwright, does artificial intelligence (AI) concern you?

-We should be concerned if AI attempts to replace authors’ roles. We must protect humans before businesses.

-The EU is working on legislation to regulate AI while ChatGPT admits it cannot function without violating copyright laws.

-Some authors might say: “Well, I’ll prohibit my work from being used for that.” It’s impossible because it’s already been used. The only solution is compensation similar to private copying so authors receive fair compensation for their work’s use—and this can only be done legally through management entities. That’s what’s currently being considered: general licenses in exchange for remuneration.