Most local artists care little about copyrights

Most local artists care little about copyrights

JAKARTA (JP): Most Indonesian artists, because of their strong
communal sense, are not assertive enough in claiming copyright
for their work, a legal expert said yesterday.

"Awareness among artists is increasing, but some sort of shock
therapy is needed," said Henry Soelystio, head of the Legislative
Research Division at the Cabinet Secretariat.

"Many still create for the sake of dedication to art itself.
This is because of their mentality connected to the communal
concept of gotong-royong (mutual help)" Henry told a seminar on
copyright for the arts.

Henry, a panelists at the seminar, also blamed lax law
enforcement of copyright law.

"There is a lack of understanding of these rights in
Indonesia, among the people and law enforcers," he said.

"People feel that it is unimportant to provide protection for
this individual right, and that community appreciation of one's
creation is unnecessary," said Henry, who was a member of the
team that drafted the presidential decree on copyright.

M. D. Aliff, a composer and lyricist who took part in the
seminar, illustrated the difficulties of asserting intellectual
property rights in Indonesia.

He recalled watching the commemoration of the Armed Forces'
anniversary on television in 1984 when he discovered that two of
his songs, created in the 1960's, Genderang Kemenangan (Victory
Drumbeat) and Kekasihku Prajurit (My Soldier Lover), were played
as one piece by the corps band.

Aliff said he wrote letters to the Jakarta Military Command
and state television station TVRI, asking for any available
recordings of his pieces. Neither replied to his request.

Since then, he had heard his works played at several official
events, including an Indonesian Scout Movement ceremony, the
National Games and changing of the guard ceremonies at the
Presidential Palace.

Much later, he discovered a cassette of the recordings but the
name of the artist on the cover was not his.

After contacting the proper copyright authority and a long
arduous process, Kekasihku Prajurit was now registered under his
name, he said.

The other title is still being processed.

"I just want to get this resolved. I am happy and proud if I
hear my songs played. But when I discovered there was a cassette
actually existing, and on the cover, the name of the song writer
was not mine, I was shocked. The artist's moral and economic
rights should be protected," he said.

Henry, who is also a lawyer dealing with intellectual property
rights cases, agreed to take up Aliff's case.

He urged the people to register their works at the Copyright
Office. "While this is not compulsory, the artists' intellectual
property rights would be protected. Do use it. It only costs
7,500 rupiah to register," he said. (40)