Press Council Proposes Protection of Journalistic Works in Copyright Bill
The Press Council officially gathered strategic input regarding the proposed regulation of journalistic works within the Draft Copyright Law (RUU Hak Cipta). This step was taken through a public hearing with various press constituents held at the Press Council Hall in Jakarta on Thursday (11/6). The forum served as a crucial moment for the national media industry to ensure that copyright regulations can answer the challenges of digital destruction, especially regarding the use of content by global platforms and artificial intelligence (AI) technology. The Press Council affirmed that journalistic works are professional intellectual products that undergo a lengthy process, from reporting to verification, thus possessing economic value that must be protected by law.
Chairman of the Press Council, Prof. Dr. Komaruddin Hidayat, appreciated the resilience of press personnel amidst a challenging industry situation. He emphasised that the integration of journalistic work protection into the Copyright Bill could be a long-term solution for media sustainability. “We will collectively strive to adapt and find solutions amidst this unfavourable situation. The protection of journalistic works in the Copyright Bill will hopefully be one solution,” said Komaruddin. During the discussion, three main points emerged as serious concerns for press industry players. First, the urgency of explicit recognition of journalistic works as objects protected by the Copyright Law. Second, the recognition of press companies’ economic rights over the works produced. Third, clarity on the rules of engagement for digital platforms, aggregators, and AI developers that use journalistic content.
The Press Council ensured that this proposal will not restrict freedom of expression or public access to information. Deputy Chairman of the Press Council, Totok Suryanto, explained that this protection aims precisely to safeguard the public’s right to obtain quality information. Echoing this, Chairman of the Digital & Sustainability Commission of the Press Council, Dahlan Dahi, underlined that this rule only targets commercial use. “Non-commercial use of journalistic works is still permitted, for example for educational, research, and academic study purposes,” Dahlan stressed. The forum was attended by representatives of cross-platform press organisations, including PWI, AJI, SPS, PFI, PRSSNI, ATVLI, ATVSI, AMSI, and JMSI, and was supported by LBH Pers and the KTP2JB Committee. All this input will be finalised by the Press Council as a draft refinement proposal to the Government and the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR RI) in the upcoming discussion of the Copyright Bill.