Bildupphovsrätt - Visual Copyright Society in Sweden
About us
Bildupphovsrätt i Sverige is a non-profit collective management organization representing visual artists in Sweden. Established in 1989, we operate under the supervision of the Swedish Intellectual Property Office. Bildupphovsrätt is a member of the international organisations CISAC, IFFRO and EVA.
Our primary mission is to license the use of copyright-protected images and related rights, and to distribute collected royalties to visual artists. We are also the organisation collecting resale right remuneration in Sweden. In addition, we are entrusted with the administration of certain government grants for visual artists.
We represent approximately 10,000 Swedish visual artists — including professional photographers, illustrators, painters, graphic designers, and other visual creators — as well as six member organizations:
- KRO – The Swedish Artists’ National Organization
- SFF – The Swedish Association of Professional Photographers
- Svenska Tecknare – The Association of Swedish Illustrators and Graphic Designers
- Journalistförbundet – The Swedish Union of Journalists
- SK – The Swedish Artists Association
- BLF_Fotograferna – Swedish Picture Suppliers Association
Through our international network of sister societies, we also represent around 150,000–200,000 visual artists from other countries.
Information for Copyright Holders
For Artists Abroad
If you are a visual artist living outside of Sweden, you do not need to become a member of Bildupphovsrätt to receive remuneration from us. We have agreements with sister societies around the world, which allow us to represent your rights in Sweden based on the same principles we use for Swedish artists.
If you wish to join a sister society in your own country, you’ll find a list of our sister societies here.
For Artists in Sweden
If you are a visual artist residing in Sweden and wish to become a member, please visit our membership page.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at bildupphovsratt@bildupphovsratt.se.
Information for Image Users
In most cases, using visual artwork requires a license. Bildupphovsrätt offers licensing solutions for many types of image use on behalf of the artists we represent.
- If your organization is based outside of Sweden, please contact the equivalent licensing society in your country. You’ll find a list of our sister societies here.
- If your organization is based in Sweden, you can request a quote by filling out the form available here. You can also contact us at tillstand@bildupphovsratt.se. Before reaching out, we recommend checking our artist directory to ensure the artist is represented by Bildupphovsrätt.
Help Us Find Artists
Bildupphovsrätt occasionally receives royalties on behalf of artists with whom we currently have no contact.
Below, we publish a list of artists whose contact details we are actively trying to verify. Names remain on the list until each case is resolved, which may result in some artists staying listed even after contact has been made.
If you are, or know someone on this list, please reach out to us at bildupphovsratt@bildupphovsratt.se.
We appreciate your help in connecting with these artists or their rightsholders.