Royalty fees for songs

Royalty fees for songs

JAKARTA (JP): Police have warned that action will be taken
against entertainment establishments which play songs without
paying royalties for their use.

Chief of the city police's economic crime unit, Lt. Col.
Aryanto Sutadi, said on Wednesday that the measure would be taken
as soon as police received the necessary court approval.

Aryanto said that, under the law on copyrights was issued in
1982 and reviewed in 1987, those who use music for commercial
purposes could be brought to trial for failing to pay royalties.

Under the existing copyright law, violators face a maximum
penalty of Rp 100 million (US$46,950) in fines or up to seven
years in jail, he said.

He added that police had received a complaint from the
Indonesian Creative Acts Foundation, which collects royalties
from consumers.

The foundation said many businesses in the entertainment
industry refused to pay royalties on music, he said.

The foundation was established in 1990 as a non-profit
mediator between composers, both local and foreign, and
commercial music users.

The foundation targets any profit-making enterprise which uses
music as part of its product, including pubs, discos, hotels,
restaurants and theaters.

There are reportedly between 2,000 and 3,000 such businesses
in the capital. (01)