Protect Australian Entertainers: Guarantee Earnings, Ownership, and Trust Accounts
Protect Australian Entertainers: Guarantee Earnings, Ownership, and Trust Accounts
The issue
Australian entertainers, from child stars to international icons, remain vulnerable to exploitation.
Australia has no equivalent to the US “Coogan Law,” which requires a percentage of child entertainer earnings to be placed in a trust. This leaves children, musicians, actors, and creators open to financial abuse, mismanagement, and exploitation.
Recent high profile cases prove this is not theoretical. It is happening right now.
Vanessa Amorosi: court battle over control of earnings and ownership.
Iggy Azalea: two years of dispute over unpaid royalties outside the US.
Sia: vocal about exploitation and pressures of the industry.
Courtney Barnett and other independent artists: struggles with fair royalties and contracts.
From young influencers on YouTube and TikTok, to emerging actors, to global music stars, Australia’s laws do not protect entertainers’ rights or earnings.
We demand immediate action:
Our 5 Standards for Australia
Mandatory Trust Accounts: Require a percentage of all child entertainer earnings to be secured in protected trusts until adulthood.
Fair Royalties Across Borders: Guarantee Australian entertainers are paid transparently for global income.
Ownership Rights: Prevent artists from losing control of masters, likeness, and image without informed consent.
Independent Oversight: Safeguards for guardianship and contractual arrangements.
Transparency and Accountability: Platforms, agencies, and labels must disclose payments clearly.
Why It Matters
Australia prides itself on a strong cultural industry. Yet our laws are decades behind global standards. While the US introduced the Coogan Law in the 1930s, Australia in 2025 still has no protection for its children, artists, or creators.
Without reform, we will continue to see entertainers lose millions, their futures, and their ownership.
This is not just about celebrities. It is about every young Australian who steps onto a stage, into a studio, or in front of a camera.
Call to Action
We call on the Australian Parliament to immediately legislate protections for entertainers’ rights and earnings.
No Australian child star, musician, or creator should ever lose their earnings or ownership again.
Sign the petition. Share it. Demand reform now.
1
The issue
Australian entertainers, from child stars to international icons, remain vulnerable to exploitation.
Australia has no equivalent to the US “Coogan Law,” which requires a percentage of child entertainer earnings to be placed in a trust. This leaves children, musicians, actors, and creators open to financial abuse, mismanagement, and exploitation.
Recent high profile cases prove this is not theoretical. It is happening right now.
Vanessa Amorosi: court battle over control of earnings and ownership.
Iggy Azalea: two years of dispute over unpaid royalties outside the US.
Sia: vocal about exploitation and pressures of the industry.
Courtney Barnett and other independent artists: struggles with fair royalties and contracts.
From young influencers on YouTube and TikTok, to emerging actors, to global music stars, Australia’s laws do not protect entertainers’ rights or earnings.
We demand immediate action:
Our 5 Standards for Australia
Mandatory Trust Accounts: Require a percentage of all child entertainer earnings to be secured in protected trusts until adulthood.
Fair Royalties Across Borders: Guarantee Australian entertainers are paid transparently for global income.
Ownership Rights: Prevent artists from losing control of masters, likeness, and image without informed consent.
Independent Oversight: Safeguards for guardianship and contractual arrangements.
Transparency and Accountability: Platforms, agencies, and labels must disclose payments clearly.
Why It Matters
Australia prides itself on a strong cultural industry. Yet our laws are decades behind global standards. While the US introduced the Coogan Law in the 1930s, Australia in 2025 still has no protection for its children, artists, or creators.
Without reform, we will continue to see entertainers lose millions, their futures, and their ownership.
This is not just about celebrities. It is about every young Australian who steps onto a stage, into a studio, or in front of a camera.
Call to Action
We call on the Australian Parliament to immediately legislate protections for entertainers’ rights and earnings.
No Australian child star, musician, or creator should ever lose their earnings or ownership again.
Sign the petition. Share it. Demand reform now.
1
Petition created on 30 September 2025