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VG Wort METIS: reporting texts on the internet and e-books

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What METIS is, what a counting mark (Zählmarke) counts, how the two METIS distributions differ and which dates VG Wort states — as VG Wort describes it on its own pages.

What METIS is

METIS is the name VG Wort gives its reporting procedures for texts on the internet and e-books. „Meldungen sind ausschließlich in elektronischer Form über das Online-Service-Portal T.O.M. der VG WORT möglich“ (reports are only possible electronically through VG Wort's online service portal T.O.M.), writes VG Wort; access needs a one-time registration. A collection agreement (Wahrnehmungsvertrag) is required: „Nur wenn Sie einen Vertrag mit der VG WORT abschließen, können Sie Texte melden und von Ausschüttungen profitieren.“ (Only if you conclude an agreement with VG Wort can you report texts and benefit from distributions.) According to VG Wort, authors, translators and publishers are entitled to report for all METIS distributions.

On formats, VG Wort writes: „Neben direkt im Netz lesbaren Texten (HTML oder XHTML Dateien) sind auch PDF-Dokumente oder sog. ePubs meldefähig.“ (Besides texts readable directly on the web, HTML or XHTML files, PDF documents and ePubs can also be reported.) According to VG Wort, texts in videos, audio files or multimedia presentations cannot be reported, and reported texts must not carry technical copy protection („hartes DRM“). According to VG Wort, coherent texts can be reported from a minimum length (Mindestumfang) of 1,800 characters, „gerechnet inklusive der Leerzeichen“ (counting spaces).

The counting mark and the access distribution

„Die Anzahl der Zugriffe auf einen Text wird mit Hilfe einer von der VG WORT vergebenen Zählmarke gezählt. Erreichen die pro Text gemessenen Zugriffe innerhalb eines Kalenderjahres einen bestimmten Wert, den die Gremien der VG WORT festlegen, kann im darauffolgenden Jahr der Text gemeldet werden.“ (The number of accesses to a text is counted with a counting mark issued by VG Wort. If the accesses measured per text within a calendar year reach a certain value set by VG Wort's committees, the text can be reported in the following year.) According to VG Wort's schedule of dates, the minimum number of accesses (Mindestzugriff) is set in the reporting system at the beginning of January, when reporting for authors to the METIS access distribution also opens.

According to VG Wort, a reformed access distribution has applied since the start of 2026; its principles are the same as those of the former „Reguläre Ausschüttung“ (regular distribution). Counting marks placed before 2026 „behalten ihre Gültigkeit und verbleiben in den Texten“ (remain valid and stay in the texts).

How far back texts can be reported, VG Wort answers in its FAQ: „In der Ausschüttung mit Zugriffserfassung sind die letzten drei Kalenderjahre meldefähig, sofern in diesen Jahren die Zugriffszählung über die VG WORT-Zählmarken erfolgt ist und der jeweils festgelegte Mindestzugriff erreicht wurde.“ (In the distribution with access counting, the last three calendar years can be reported, provided accesses were counted with VG Wort counting marks in those years and the minimum set for each year was reached.) What counts here is the year of counting.

The transition for 2024 and 2025

For texts not yet reported that reached the required minimum accesses in 2024, VG Wort states 31 March 2027 as the last date for a report under the rules of the expired distribution plan. For texts that reached the minimum accesses in 2025, VG Wort states 31 March 2028.

The circulation distribution

According to VG Wort, the circulation distribution (Verbreitungsausschüttung) replaces the former „Sonderausschüttung“ (special distribution) and covers pages or texts without counting marks, including one's own website. What matters, according to VG Wort, is „ob sich auf der Seite des zu meldenden Textes selbst eine Zählmarke befindet“ (whether there is a counting mark on the page of the text being reported itself). „Meldefähig sind nur Werke ab dem Erscheinungsjahr 2026.“ (Only works published from 2026 onwards can be reported.) According to VG Wort, the following can be reported:

„Jedes E-Book und jeder Text müssen einzeln gemeldet werden.“ (Every e-book and every text must be reported individually.) According to VG Wort, a work is taken into account once, if the criteria of the distribution plan are met. If they are not met in the first year, VG Wort keeps the report until the publication year expires — „d. h. für maximal zwei weitere Ausschüttungsjahre“ (i.e. for at most two further distribution years) — and checks it again. As an example, VG Wort states that a work published in 2026 can be reported until 31 March 2029 at the latest.

For one's own website, VG Wort says: „Autoren können pro Meldejahr mit einer Seite nur an einem der beiden Meldeverfahren teilnehmen.“ (Per reporting year, authors can take part with one site in only one of the two procedures.) According to VG Wort, the last special distribution, for the usage year 2025, takes place at the end of September 2026 (VG Wort's statement, retrieved on 2026-09-28).

Deadline and distribution

For all METIS reporting procedures — circulation, access and agency distribution — VG Wort's schedule of dates states 31 March as the reporting deadline, for the first time in 2027 according to its page on online texts. The same VG Wort schedule lists the METIS distribution for texts on the internet at the end of September.

A report is not yet a commitment. VG Wort writes: „Bitte beachten Sie, dass die Abgabe einer Meldung nicht automatisch eine Ausschüttung garantiert.“ (Please note that submitting a report does not automatically guarantee a distribution.) VG Wort's other deadlines and those of the other societies are under Collecting societies' reporting deadlines.

And the Künstlersozialkasse?

VG Wort's reporting deadline has nothing to do with the report to the Künstlersozialkasse; its deadline for the income estimate (Einkommensschätzung) is 1 December. On its „Beitrag“ page the Künstlersozialkasse counts among business income (Betriebseinnahmen) „alle urheberrechtlichen Vergütungen, auch solche, die über Verwertungsgesellschaften bezogen werden (GEMA, GVL, Verwertungsgesellschaft Wort, Verwertungsgesellschaft Bild-Kunst etc.)“ (all copyright remuneration, including that received through collecting societies). More on this under Profit is reported, not turnover.

What this page does not do

This page reproduces what VG Wort publishes about METIS. Whether a text can be reported, which distribution it belongs to and whether anything is paid out for it is decided by VG Wort under its distribution plan, which it sets up as fixed rules under §27 of the Collecting Societies Act (Verwertungsgesellschaftengesetz). This page states no amounts per access.

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Frequently asked questions

What is a VG Wort counting mark (Zählmarke)?
A counting mark issued by VG Wort counts the number of accesses to a text. If the accesses measured for a text within a calendar year reach the value set by VG Wort's committees, the text can be reported in the following year, according to VG Wort.
How does the METIS access distribution differ from the circulation distribution?
According to VG Wort, the access distribution (Zugriffsausschüttung) covers texts with a counting mark that reach the set minimum number of accesses (Mindestzugriff). The circulation distribution (Verbreitungsausschüttung) covers pages or texts without counting marks, only works published from 2026, and a work is taken into account once.
Until when can texts be reported that reached the minimum accesses in 2024 or 2025?
According to VG Wort, texts not yet reported that reached the required minimum accesses in 2024 can be reported under the rules of the expired distribution plan until 31 March 2027. According to VG Wort, texts that reached the minimum accesses in 2025 can be reported until 31 March 2028.
Can texts be reported to METIS on paper?
No. According to VG Wort, reports are only possible electronically through the online service portal T.O.M., which needs a one-time registration. „Eine Meldung über Papierformulare kann nicht erfolgen.“ (Reporting on paper forms is not possible.)

Sources

By the Künstlerfinanzen editorial team. Page last checked: 2026-09-28. The information comes from:

This text reproduces the information published by VG Wort and the Künstlersozialkasse and the wording of the law. It is not legal advice. What applies to your texts is answered by VG Wort.