Music royalty evaders get stern warning
Music royalty evaders get stern warning
JAKARTA (JP): Police warned music royalty evaders to pay what
they owe yesterday or face tough punishment.
"Thus far, we prefer to resort to persuasive measures because
we think stricter measures are not yet suitable. There are just
too many people who remain poorly informed about the copyright
law. We think what we are doing is enough for now. We will be
assertive but not forceful for the time being," Lt. Col. Aryanto
Setiadi, chief of the Economic Investigative Office at city
police headquarters, told The Jakarta Post and Kompas yesterday.
Aryanto said police recently summoned the owners of 10
entertainment businesses for questioning following reports from
the Indonesian Creative Works Foundation that they had not paid
the necessary royalties for music they were using.
The foundation, which was founded in 1990, is the sole agency
authorized by the authorities to collect music royalties on
behalf of songwriters.
Aryanto said the pressure exerted by the police during
questioning had motivated the majority of the 10 entertainment
businesses to promise to pay royalties and that negotiations on
the amounts were now taking place.
"But, there is one entertainment business owner who never
shows up no matter how many times we summon him. We think it is
time that person came to understand that we are not reluctant to
confiscate musical instruments or other equipment," Aryanto said.
He said the identified entertainment business is the "Monggo
Mas" pub on Jl. Gajah Mada, West Jakarta.
As for the businesses which are now willing to pay the
royalty after being pressed by police, Aryanto said under the law
the police should have continued the legal process until the
owners were prosecuted.
"However, we think our main target in this case is to simply
see that the royalties due are paid."
The foundation holds rights over 19,000 local songs and around
one million foreign songs.
The royalties on foreign songs are to be paid to the composers
via similar organizations abroad. These groups in turn pay
royalties owed on Indonesian songs through the foundation. (jsk)