Why is paying royalties so important?
On the most basic, practical level, our authors generate some or all of their income through the licensing of their work for production. When one doesn’t pay this money, that could be an author’s rent or food money or electric bill. Being able to earn money through the licensing of their plays allows playwrights to have time to create new work (as a profession and not simply a hobby) for the stage for schools and theatres to perform. On a philosophical level, the payment of a royalty is a statement that a play is something of value, and acknowledges the time and effort that went into it–just as one would be paid to do any other job. Finally, it’s important to remember that a play is wholly owned by the author, and failure to license your performance in advance and pay royalties is copyright infringement, which is against the law both in the United States and abroad. The penalties for infringement include statutory damages of up to $150,000 per incident, plus legal costs…so just don’
