Bimbo sue recording firm<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The South Jakarta District Court heard on
\nTuesday a lawsuit filed by members of the Indonesian pop music
\nband Bimbo, who are demanding a recording company pay Rp 42
\nbillion (US$5.18 million) for illegally recording and selling
\ntheir songs.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Mohamad Assegaf said his clients, Syamsudin D.H.,
\nDarmawan H., Djaka H. and Iin Parlina, the members of one of
\nIndonesia's most popular veteran bands, wanted compensation from
\nPT Remaco Ltd. and its president Eugene Timothy for allegedly
\nillegally recording and selling the songs without paying
\nroyalties to the music group since 1979.<\/p>\n
\"The firm has illegally recorded and sold at least 73 albums
\nof the group since that time,\" Assegaf told the court.<\/p>\n
The royalties, he said, have amounted to some Rp 7.3 billion,
\nthe lawyer said during the hearing. It was attended by one of
\nthe plaintiffs, Syamsudin, who is popularly known as Syam Bimbo.<\/p>\n
All of the band members are from one family.<\/p>\n
According to Assegaf, the Rp 42 billion compensation would
\nalso include the interest rate of unpaid royalties, which is
\nestimated at Rp 24 billion, and immaterial losses of Rp 10
\nbillion.<\/p>\n
The company, he said, had cooperated with Bimbo between 1973
\nand 1978 in recording and selling cassettes containing the
\ngroup's songs.<\/p>\n
In 1976 an agreement was signed between the plaintiffs and the
\ndefendants for Remaco to pay royalties worth Rp 100 for every
\ncassette sold, he said.<\/p>\n
Since that year, the firm has managed to sell an average of
\n100,000 copies of each album of the group and willingly paid
\nroyalties.<\/p>\n
But Remaco stopped the payments three years later even though
\nit continued to produce and sell their cassettes.<\/p>\n
Assegaf said the firm also produced, sold and exported compact
\ndiscs of their releases.<\/p>\n
The plaintiffs also asked the court to order the defendants to
\nreturn masters of their recording, he said.<\/p>\n
Judge J.M.T. Simatupang adjourned the trial until next week to
\nhear a response statement from the defendants' lawyers. (jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bimbo-sue-recording-firm-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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