Minister of Law Emphasises Fair Royalty Distribution at ASEAN CMO in Bali
Kuta, Bali (ANTARA) - Minister of Law Supratman Andi Agtas emphasised fair royalty distribution for creative workers at the ASEAN Collective Management Organisation (CMO) meeting in Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali, on Friday.
“Our goal is to ensure this global system becomes fairer, protecting our creators from the royalty black box, and guaranteeing that every rights holder receives fair remuneration,” Supratman stated.
The ASEAN Collective Management Organisation (CMO) Forum: Collaborative Strategic Dialogue on Digital Royalty is the first event gathering Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) across ASEAN.
Supratman noted that the rapid development of digital platforms has fundamentally transformed the music industry landscape. He said this situation has not yet been fully accompanied by an accurate royalty distribution system for creators.
“The high volume of consumption does not always correspond to accurate royalty distribution,” he remarked.
According to him, the challenges of digital royalty governance are cross-border and cannot be resolved by a single country. Therefore, he believes collective regional steps are needed to address these issues.
“As these challenges are cross-border, they can no longer be solved by one jurisdiction alone. We must act as one region,” he said.
In response to these dynamics, Indonesia has taken the initiative to draft the strategic document Elements for a Possible International Instrument on the Governance of Copyright Royalty in the Digital Environment.
This document will be proposed as a main agenda item at the 48th Session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO).
Supratman explained that this initiative aims to build a more transparent and fair global royalty system. It is also directed at protecting creators from black box royalty practices.
“The exploitation of musical works occurs simultaneously across various jurisdictions in real time, but this is not always followed by accurate royalty distribution,” he said.
Hermansyah added that imbalances in technological infrastructure and fragmentation of copyright metadata are the main challenges in digital royalty governance. This situation also triggers revenue leaks that impact the economic rights of creators in the region.
Through this forum, Indonesia is pushing for the harmonisation of copyright metadata standards and strengthening the bargaining position of CMOs in negotiations with global digital platforms. Additionally, the integration of digital royalty systems in the ASEAN region is a primary focus.
The forum was attended by representatives from CMOs across all ASEAN countries, including Indonesia’s Collective Management Institutions (LMKs), as well as the international organisation International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC).
The presence of these global stakeholders is expected to strengthen cross-country collaboration and enrich the exchange of best practices.
As a sustainability step, Indonesia is encouraging this forum to be held routinely every year with a rotating leadership mechanism. This effort is hoped to strengthen regional solidarity while ensuring the continuity of digital royalty governance reforms.
Through this forum, Indonesia affirms its role as a driver in building a fairer, more transparent, and sustainable digital royalty system. This step is expected to improve the welfare of creators in the ASEAN region while strengthening the region’s position globally.