Artists lose over sh5b annually to pirates
Jun 14, 2009
THE entertainment industry loses over sh5b every year in pirated music and non-collection of royalties from the broadcasting industry, the Uganda Performing Rights Society has said.
By Simon Longoli
THE entertainment industry loses over sh5b every year in pirated music and non-collection of royalties from the broadcasting industry, the Uganda Performing Rights Society has said.
In a study conducted by the Steadman Group in 2007, the society discovered that the artists lost over sh3.5b to pirates.
It also emerged that the artists made an annual loss of sh2b in non collected royalties from the broadcasting industry.
The law empowers the society to authorise users of music and protect copy rights of the performers. This ensures that the artists benefit from their work.
The society has embarked on a drive that will require those in the transport industry, owners of lodges and hotels and broadcasters to be authorised to play local and international music.
“Consumers of music should pay back to the copyrights owner,†said James Wasula, the society’s general secretary.
He also said measures were being taken to fight duplication of music by unauthorised persons. Public service vehicles playing music will pay an annual fee of sh2,500 per seat.
This means taxi operators will pay about sh35,000 and bus operators about sh180,000.
“Some radio stations have already registered,†Wasula added.
THE entertainment industry loses over sh5b every year in pirated music and non-collection of royalties from the broadcasting industry, the Uganda Performing Rights Society has said.
In a study conducted by the Steadman Group in 2007, the society discovered that the artists lost over sh3.5b to pirates.
It also emerged that the artists made an annual loss of sh2b in non collected royalties from the broadcasting industry.
The law empowers the society to authorise users of music and protect copy rights of the performers. This ensures that the artists benefit from their work.
The society has embarked on a drive that will require those in the transport industry, owners of lodges and hotels and broadcasters to be authorised to play local and international music.
“Consumers of music should pay back to the copyrights owner,†said James Wasula, the society’s general secretary.
He also said measures were being taken to fight duplication of music by unauthorised persons. Public service vehicles playing music will pay an annual fee of sh2,500 per seat.
This means taxi operators will pay about sh35,000 and bus operators about sh180,000.
“Some radio stations have already registered,†Wasula added.