Publisher

Australian publishers may be eligible for payments through the Australian Lending Rights schemes for eligible books, ebooks and audiobooks held in Australian public, school, university and TAFE libraries.

The schemes recognise income lost through the free multiple use of books in lending libraries. They support Australian writing and publishing by compensating eligible creators and publishers for copies of their books held in lending libraries across Australia.

You can register for Lending Rights, submit title claims and manage your account through Lending Rights Online.

Check your eligibility

You may be eligible to claim Lending Rights as a publisher if you are a:

company whose business consists wholly or substantially of publishing books and that regularly publishes in Australia
not-for-profit organisation that publishes books to further its aims or objectives
creator who publishes their own books.

Regularly publishing means publishing at least once in the preceding 3 years.

Self-publishers

If you created and published the book yourself, visit the Self-publisher page. You will need to register and claim as both a creator and a publisher.

Check the book is eligible

Eligible books include printed books, ebooks and audiobooks that:

have an ISBN
have been published and offered for sale
are claimed within 5 years from the year of publication
have a catalogue record in a national bibliographic database, such as the Schools Catalogue Information Service or the Australian National Bibliographic Database
have individual creators, not companies or organisations
are original works protected by copyright and not wholly or substantially created using artificial intelligence.

Items that are not eligible include:

music and audio-visual material
magazines and other serial publications
games or cards
single-use books, such as activity books, sticker books or workbooks
items without an ISBN
items that only have an Amazon Standard Identification Number (ASIN).

What you need to do—new registration

Go to Lending Rights Online (LRO) and register as a 'New Claimant'.

We recommend registering within 4 weeks of the expected publication date, with your first title claim to be submitted following the book's publication.

After you submit your registration, you will receive an email confirmation with your unique claimant number. You will need this number and your password to sign into LRO in the future.

If you're already registered

Sign into Lending Rights Online using your claimant number and password. You can find your claimant number in the email you received when you registered.

You can use Lending Rights Online to:

view your records
change your password
submit new title claims
update your contact and bank details
view your payment history.

If you've forgotten your password, you can reset it by clicking the 'Forgot Your Password?' button and entering your email address.

If you still need help logging in, call 1800 672 842 during business hours (AEST/AEDT) or email lendingrights@arts.gov.au

Submit publisher title claim

A title claim is how you tell us about a book you want to claim for.

Submit a publisher title claim for each eligible book. Include the details of every edition or format you want to claim.

A print book, ebook and audiobook may each have a different ISBN. If a new edition or format is published with a new ISBN, submit another title claim for that ISBN.

Print books and ebooks can be submitted on the same claim form. For audiobooks, complete a separate claim form.

Eligible new books are assigned a Book Reference Number and included in the annual library survey process.

Claim a new book, edition or format

You should submit a new title claim if:

you have published a new eligible book
an existing book has been republished with a new ISBN
the published book is released in another format, such as an ebook or audiobook, with a new ISBN.

Include the details of every edition or format you want to claim. Print books and ebooks can be submitted on the same claim form. For audiobooks, complete a separate claim form.

You only need to claim a book once. Submit another title claim if the book is published in a new edition or format with a different ISBN.

When to claim

You should lodge your title claim after the book is published and no later than 5 years after the year of publication.

New title claims close on 31 March each year.

For the current claim period, the deadline is 31 March 2027.

Keep your details up to date

Keep your contact and bank details current so we can contact you and make any payment owed to you.

You can update these details through Lending Rights Online.

If you cannot use Lending Rights Online, you can complete the change of address and bank details form.

Email the completed form to lendingrights@arts.gov.au or post it to: Lending Rights, GPO Box 3241, Canberra ACT 2601.

How payments work

Having a registered claim does not guarantee a payment.

Publisher payments are based on the:

estimated number of copies of eligible books held in public and educational lending libraries
publisher's financial interest in the books
applicable Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right payment rates.

Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right payments are calculated and paid separately.

A publisher can only receive a payment for a book if an eligible creator claim has also been lodged for that book.

A claimed book must have a book score of at least 50 for the relevant program year. A book score estimates the number of copies of a book (print, ebook and audiobook formats), that are held in the libraries surveyed.

Your calculated payment must reach at least $100 for you to receive a payment.

Claimants are notified in May if a payment is due. Payments are deposited into nominated bank accounts by 30 June each year.

Frequently asked questions for publishers

Do we need to claim the same book every year?

No. You only need to submit a title claim once, unless the book is republished in a new edition or format with a new ISBN.

Can we claim ebooks and audiobooks?

Yes. Ebooks and audiobooks can be claimed if they meet all other eligibility requirements.

What if a book is published in a new edition or format?

Submit a new publisher title claim if the new edition or format has a different ISBN.

Can a publisher receive a payment without a creator claim?

No. Publishers only receive payments for books where an eligible creator claim has been lodged.

Can we receive back payments for books that were not claimed in previous years?

No. Back payments are not made for books that were not claimed in previous program years.

What if we can't use Lending Rights Online?

Lending Rights Online is the preferred way to submit title claims and update account information. If you cannot use it, you can complete a paper form.

Paper forms take longer to process. Allow 5 to 10 business days for the requested action to be completed.

These forms may not meet WCAG 2.0 requirements. For accessible versions, please email: lendingrights@arts.gov.au

Completed forms can be emailed to lendingrights@arts.gov.au or posted to: Lending Rights, GPO Box 3241, Canberra ACT 2601.

How can we view previous payments?

Sign in to Lending Rights Online and select View creator / publisher payments. Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right payments appear under separate tabs.