DACS appoints visual arts copyright expert Christian Zimmermann as new Chief Executive
DACS, the Design and Artists Copyright Society, is delighted to announce that Christian Zimmermann, Chief Operating Officer has been appointed as new Chief Executive.
Christian has spent his career protecting artists’ rights, having worked at DACS for 16 years. He is a qualified solicitor in the UK and Germany with a Masters in Intellectual Property Law. Before joining DACS in 2006, he worked at the Association of Photographers (AOP).
As a skilled and experienced negotiator, Christian has defended and advocated for artists’ rights throughout his career. He led negotiations with the government to fully implement the Artist’s Resale Right in 2012 which culminated in more artists and beneficiaries being able to benefit from the Right in the long term. He also steered DACS through an industry wide valuation with the Copyright Licensing Agency to protect visual artists share of collecting licensing revenue.
On behalf of the Board, I am delighted Christian Zimmermann has been appointed as DACS’ new Chief Executive. From reshaping DACS’ commercial licensing arm to better enable DACS members works to be reproduced in new and diverse ways, to managing DACS’ reputation as a global leader for rights management. Christian has a wealth of knowledge and unrivalled expertise to help DACS members navigate the changing global landscape.
DACS Chair
DACS is a vital organisation paying out millions of pounds in royalties to tens of thousands of visual artists each year. Having spent my career advocating for artists’ rights, as DACS Chief Executive, I want to better enable artists to earn a living from their work and ensure that their intellectual property is recognised for its vital contribution to the UK’s £116 billion creative industries.
In August, DACS published its latest Annual Review figures with 79,000 artists and estates receiving £17.2million in royalties through its services in 2021. Royalties are an essential source of income for artists, helping them to continue making work and supporting estates to protect artists’ legacies.
