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)