About CLA
As a regulated not-for-profit organisation, we licence and educate organisations to lawfully use, copy, and share text and image-based content owned by authors, publishers, and visual artists. Revenues are distributed to rightsholders, ensuring fair compensation for rightsholders and support for the UK’s creative economy.
CLA is recognised by the UK government as the Collective Management Organisation for published material. We exist to support knowledge sharing, protect companies, and champion the creative ecosystem.
Our revenue is distributed to our member organisations who pay royalties directly to copyright owners – authors (ALCS), publishers (PLS), and visual artists (DACS & PICSEL).
Since 1983, we have generated over £1.5 billion in collective licensing revenues, with 2023/24 generating record revenue of £103m.
Our licences facilitate the efficient reuse of content by 12.7 million students and over 9.5 million employees in over 40,000 businesses, schools, and universities across the UK.
With over 40 international agreements, we provide lawful and simple access to millions of print and online publications
We work across public and private sectors with an extensive customer base and attractive portfolio of licences. New workplace generative AI permissions were added to our business and public administration licences in May 2025, with a Generative AI Training Licence in the pipeline.
Our long term success stems from a commitment to innovation and the development of effective, forward-looking solutions that meet the needs of content users and respond to technological change – including the emergence of generative AI – while upholding our core mission to support creativity and protect rights.
For CLA Copy, Right is more than a tagline – it is a guiding light, a rallying call. We believe that organisations should behave responsibly. Creativity enriches society so it is of societal importance for organisations to respect copyright, and weave compliance into their ESG frameworks.
By licensing and educating organisations, we play a vital role in channelling monies back to the creators and rightsholders, enabling them to create more quality works.
Act responsibly. Protect your organisation. Support creatives. Copy, Right.