At the beginning of the year, the games archive of the Stiftung Spielen in Altenburg made all the ludographic data relating to its existing collection of games publicly available on the website www.brettspiele.digital.

As previously reported in March, VG WORT subsequently stated that it will use this database as an additional reference for the distribution of library royalties to rights holders among game authors. Until now, only titles included in the database of the German National Library or in the Directory of Available Books (VLB) were recorded. Eligible game authors can therefore now submit title notifications to VG WORT, provided the titles are recorded in the Stiftung Spielen database.

To enable all game authors to benefit from the library royalty payments, we are now making our VG WORT Guide (PDF) to the necessary procedure available not only to SAZ members. The steps to participate are simple:

• Sign a rights management agreement with VG WORT, if you have not already done so.
• Submit your German titles announcement to VG WORT using a paper form.

All details and further information are included in the guide. We recommend that all game authors take advantage of this additional source of income from the circulation of their games in public libraries. The current titles should be announced by the end of the year. The first distribution of royalties based on this system will take place in summer 2027.

The Game Designers Association (SAZ) will continue to lobby for the Altenburg archive to receive institutional funding in future – such as that provided to the German National Library (DNB) – to ensure professional archival operations.