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Journalism of Courage
When music director Lalit Pandit composed Munni badnaam hui for Dabangg,he received Rs 1 lakh for it. Thousands of downloads,several awards,and considerable airplay later,Pandit has not received a paisa extra. The song is still being downloaded. But after I signed the contract with the producer,I wasnt entitled to any more money, says Pandit,who did receive numerous offers to compose for other films. Munni has become one of the most popular Indian videos this year on YouTube,followed closely by Sheila ki jawani.
Now,YouTube,a video-sharing website,has given the composer a reason to cheer. It has signed a licensing agreement with the Indian Performing Rights Society (IPRS),under which composers,lyricists and publishers,who are members of IPRS,will receive a share of the revenue if their video is a hit on YouTube. According to this deal,the royalty will be divided between the composer,lyricist and publisher every time their video is played or downloaded. IPRS is a Mumbai-based copyright society authorised under the Copyright Act 1957 and is responsible for collecting royalties.
YouTubes agreement comes soon after a Bombay High Court judgement,which stated that composers,songwriters and singers are not entitled to any royalty after their song is recorded once. The matter is now with the Supreme Court. Monetising of music on the internet is a great beginning. The association will benefit various songwriters and composers,even the unknown ones,apart from music publishers who will receive revenue, says Rajiv Nigam,CEO,IPRS.
Adds playback singer Kailash Kher,My songs are played on TV and radio,are downloaded as ringtones and played as videos. Am I not entitled to royalty from that? This move by YouTube is a positive one. The surprising bit is that our own country is not able to understand the concept of intellectual property rights, says Kher,who is also a member of the standing committee dealing with the Copyright Bill,headed by Javed Akhtar.
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