This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Business News Labels & Publishers Legal
PRS calls on Indian government to act on radio royalties
By CMU Editorial | Published on Tuesday 16 August 2011
Publishing rights collecting society PRS For Music has criticised two recent court rulings in India which negatively impacted on the rights of songwriters and music publishers to be paid a royalty when their songs are played by radio stations. PRS says that the court rulings breach India’s obligations under the Berne Convention, the international agreement that ensures minimum level copyright protection for composers and songwriters in any country signed up to it. The collecting society wants the Indian government to act to ensure the country’s copyright laws are able to fulfil international obligations.
PRS Chairman Guy Fletcher says: “PRS For Music is proud to represent the rights of many Indian music creators who have joined our society in order for us to collect their royalties when their music is used outside India. We diligently license, track, collect and pay music usage in our own country and look to respective governments to ensure copyright legislation is enforced in their own countries in order that local societies can properly compensate creators. Radio performances and the royalties earned are key components of any creator’s income and are as important in India as in the UK”.
