Ministry of Law Investigates Alleged Music Copyright Infringement on Digital Platform
The Ministry of Law and Human Rights is currently delving into a case of alleged copyright infringement of songs and/or music on one of the user-generated content-based digital service platforms.
Director General of Intellectual Property (Dirjen KI) of the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Hermansyah Siregar, explained that the case is a follow-up to a 2025 complaint report from copyright holders who discovered the commercial use of their creations without permission.
“At present, the handling of the case has entered the supervision, observation, research, and examination phase (wasmatlitrik),” said Hermansyah in a statement confirmed in Jakarta on Monday.
He added that his side has also received evidence of the alleged infringement as well as statements from the complainant, witnesses, and experts, both from practitioners and academics, to strengthen the ongoing law enforcement process.
He stated that the alleged infringement includes activities of duplication, distribution, and communication of songs to the public without approval from the copyright holder.
It was said that such actions potentially violate the provisions in Law No. 28 of 2014 on Copyright, particularly regarding the obligation to obtain permission in exercising economic rights.
The Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DJKI) emphasises that songs and/or music are creations that are fully protected, encompassing melody, notation, rhythm, to lyrics.
Therefore, continued Hermansyah, every utilisation, whether partial or in full, still requires permission from the creator or copyright holder, especially if used for commercial purposes.
In addition, he revealed that digital service platforms as organisers of electronic systems have a responsibility to ensure there is no copyright infringement within their ecosystem.
Legal developments, including Constitutional Court decisions, continued he, have strengthened the platforms’ obligations not only to be passive but also proactive in supervising circulating content.
Therefore, Dirjen KI emphasised that the handling of the case is carried out carefully and professionally while upholding the presumption of innocence principle.
“DJKI ensures that every law enforcement process runs in accordance with applicable provisions. We prioritise caution, transparency, and professionalism in handling this case, without neglecting the protection of creators’ rights,” he said.
Meanwhile, Director of Law Enforcement of DJKI Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Arie Ardian Rishadi, emphasised the importance of the role of all parties in respecting copyright, especially in the digital space which has a very rapid content distribution rate.
“The utilisation of songs and/or music on digital platforms must be accompanied by permission from the copyright holder. We urge business actors and platform managers to strengthen internal monitoring mechanisms to prevent violations,” said Arie.
DJKI also invites copyright holders to actively protect their owned works, including through recording creations, managing licences, and monitoring the use of works on various digital platforms.
According to him, those steps are important to strengthen legal positions and minimise potential losses. Through the handling of this case, DJKI once again affirms its commitment to strengthening intellectual property protection in the digital era.
It was stated that awareness and compliance with copyright law are key to creating a fair, safe, and sustainable digital ecosystem for all creative industry actors.