{
  "id": 12667273,
  "title": "Govt mulls residual payments for actors when productions are reused",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/govt-mulls-residual-payments-for-actors-when-productions-are-reused",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-07T15:52:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Free Malaysia Today",
    "slug": "free-malaysia-today",
    "url": "https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2026/10/07/govt-mulls-residual-payments-for-actors-when-productions-are-reused"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil is contemplating the implementation of residual payments or revenue sharing for Malaysian actors when their performances generate commercial income through repeated use of their work. This potential development was in response to a question posed by MP Kalam Salan regarding the government's plans to introduce a similar mechanism for actors.\n\nFahmi clarified that his ministry, along with the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas), will assess the viability of this proposal. The review will examine various avenues, including legal amendments, industry guidelines, and standard contract provisions, to determine the most suitable approach. Additionally, the structure of the creative industry ecosystem and current business models will be taken into account.\n\nDrawing from the United States, Fahmi noted that residual payments are typically negotiated collectively between actors’ unions and producers’ associations, rather than being legally mandated. In such cases, actors receive a percentage of the distributor’s gross receipts when the film or drama is used in subsequent markets, such as television, video, or streaming platforms.\n\nCurrently, Malaysia's Copyright Act 1987 does not provide a specific mechanism for residual payments in audiovisual works. Remuneration for Malaysian actors is generally determined based on the contractual terms agreed upon between the actors and the producers or rights holders. To facilitate this review, Fahmi mentioned that Finas will collaborate with the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia, and relevant stakeholder groups, including the Gabungan Persatuan Karyawan Filem Malaysia (the Film and Entertainment Workers' Union) and actors’ associations.",
  "summary": "Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil says Finas will study which revenue-sharing mechanism is most suitable.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Free Malaysia Today",
        "title": "Govt mulls residual payments for actors when productions are reused",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/govt-mulls-residual-payments-for-actors-when-productions-are-reused-12669809",
        "published": "2026-10-07T15:52:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}