In this second episode, Jack de Lange, Board Member of The Surveyors’ Trust, describes the background to setting up The Surveyors’ Trust - why it got started and what has taken place since. Previous to the Trust, surveyors were not retaining their rights over their artistic works (surveyors’ plans) and Jack and a group of others dedicated to the industry, set about achieving recognition of the intellectual property of surveyors.

The group then decided that rather than benefit from the royalties gained from the sale of individual plans, they would pool their royalties and achieve greater good for the industry. The matter went all the way to the High Court and in 2008, 12 years later, the ruling passed and surveyors were granted permission to collect royalties from their intellectual property as a collective known as the Copyright Trust.

The initial purpose of setting up the Trust, now referred to as The Surveyors’ Trust, started as a way to recognise the intellectual property of surveyors and now every time a survey plan is sold the royalty goes to the Trust. So there is a group of individuals working together to achieve something as a collective, like big projects that benefit the whole industry, and not just the individuals.

It is now up to the members to come forward with suggestions for how we can support the industry.