Teostajat

Teostajat is a Finnish term used in the context of copyright administration to refer to the holders of the exclusive rights to a teos, a creative work. The teostaja is typically a creator or a rights owner, such as an author, composer, lyricist, or a publisher, and may be a natural person or a legal entity. The concept covers both individual authors and organizations that administer the rights to a work.

A teos can be a musical composition, a literary work, an audiovisual work, or other creative output. In practice, a teostaja may be a single person or several co-authors who share ownership of the rights, possibly together with a publisher or rights-management entity. The rights held by teostajat include reproduction, distribution, public performance, and, in many cases, adaptations and translations. In joint works, each teostaja holds an undivided share of the rights as agreed among the parties.

In Finland, collecting societies such as Teosto act on behalf of teostajat to license the use of works and to collect royalties from users. The royalties are then distributed to the teostajat according to their contributed shares or licensing agreements. Registration of works and clear attribution of teostajat are important for accurate rights management and revenue sharing.

The concept of teostajat underscores the legal relationship between creators and the rights associated with a work. It also highlights the role of rights-management organizations in facilitating licensing, monitoring usage, and ensuring compensation for those who own or control the rights to a teos. See also: Tekijänoikeuslaki, Teosto.