EEMA and IPRS continue debate on persisting copyright law issue

For the longest time event companies have been complaining about the cost of music licenses they have to bear to multiple copyright claimants such as IPRS, PPL, ISRA, individual music companies, agencies such as Novex, etc.

Broadly, IPRS license is needed for all events (live performance/ DJ/ recorded music being played) wherein music is used. IPRS covers the copyright license for Musical and Literary works. PPL is needed only for events wherein recorded music is played. PPL covers the use of sound recording. Weddings and related events do not have to obtain music licenses.

Previously the court had ordered IPRS to bring more transparency to the licensing process by way of better documentation, following which it had de-registered itself as a copyright society. It has recently presented the new tariff structure and rates to enable the requested transparency and registered itself as a society again. A fixed, predictable rate structure has just been introduced and is available on the IPRS website. An online payments system has also been introduced. As a rule, no cash payments are permitted by IPRS for their license issuance.

In a latest development members of EEMA met with the IPRS board on 29 March in order to arrive at some resolution to this long and enduring conflict. EEMA was represented by Sabbas Joseph, President-EEMA; Vijay Nair, VP- EEMA; Manuj Aggarwal (Percept Live), Dinesh Kummar (Wizcraft). IPRS was represented by Javed Akhtar (Chairman-IPRS), Rakesh Nigam, Ameet Datta, Mandar Thakur, Devraj Sanyal, Raju Singh, Shirley Singh.

As a way forward, a Joint Committee between IPRS and EEMA has been set up in order to go over each of the points and resolve all issues so that a joint memorandum can be signed before the end of April 2018 covering all fronts ensuring that the event industry and the music industry work together toward common initiatives and goals.

The next meeting is scheduled for today.