Copyright is a win-win situation for our local composers, says the chairman of Fiji Performing Rights Association (FPRA) Limited, Eremasi Tamanisau Junior.

He told members of the association during the annual general meeting that copyright issues were not a problem for them.

“It isn’t because the more copies downloaded, sold, or remixed and played, the more our composers benefit from it,” he said during the meeting at the Fijian Teachers Association hall.

“Actually no one is allowed to remix any work of composers without their approval or consent. But it does not really hurt the pocket of the composers because every time the music is played in public, the composers still get the performing rights worthy.

“The more the remixes and plays, the more popularity to our composers in introducing and play their music.”

One other issue talked about was piracy policies that affected the composers.

“What hurts most to us is the piracy. The composers have visualised and they got the mechanisms to play with the music,” he said.

“The trend and production of CDs is now done online by putting up music by organisations like Newcomb live and Fiji live.”

He said the members have resolved the mechanical rights, which will be administers by FPRA.

“The significance about that is that right now downloading music via streaming is the biggest revenue earner for all collective management organisations globally,” he said.

“Businesses pay to FPRA for playing copyright music. It means that we will be able to maximise on the income from the mechanical rights.”

He said the association had collected $266,904 last year, which was distributed among the composers yesterday; a growth of 8.9 per cent from $245,052 in 2014.

The next AGM will be held in November 2017, and royalty collective will be distributed.

Edited by Naisa Koroi

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