Music Industry Bodies Warn Against Flawed Guidelines
PETALING JAYA: Three major music industry bodies, Music Authors’ Copyright Protection (MACP), Public Performance Malaysia (PPM), and Recording Performers Malaysia (RPM), have expressed concerns over the newly published Guidelines of Copyright (Collective Management Organisations) 2025 (CMO).
Unilateral Publication and Lack of Consultation
The guidelines, issued by the Intellectual Property Corporation of Malaysia (MyIPO) on January 17, were intended to improve the governance and operations of collective management organisations. However, the music industry bodies claim that the guidelines were published "unilaterally without consultation with us and many provisions are ultra vires as they exceed the jurisdiction granted under the Copyright Act 1987 and conflict with other existing laws."
Impact on Copyright Holders and Industry
MACP chairman Nasir Mohamed, also known as singer M Nasir, warned that the guidelines could negatively impact the copyright ecosystem and the livelihood of creators like himself who rely on royalty income from collective management organisations. PPM chairman Rosmin Hashim echoed similar concerns, stating that the guidelines could harm the local music industry, especially the copyright owners of music and video recordings.
Disruption to Royalty Payments
RPM chairman Sheila Majid added that the new guidelines could disrupt royalty payments if they were not properly discussed with stakeholders. The music industry bodies are concerned that the guidelines may undermine their autonomy and are not aligned with existing laws.
Seeking Collaboration with MyIPO
The music industry bodies have expressed their willingness to collaborate with MyIPO to make necessary amendments to the published CMO guidelines to ensure that they achieve their intended objectives. "We are prepared to collaborate with MyIPO to make the necessary amendments to the published CMO guidelines to ensure that they achieve their intended objectives," said PPM chairman Rosmin Hashim.
Conclusion
The music industry bodies’ concerns over the CMO guidelines are a reminder of the importance of stakeholder consultation and collaboration in the development of policies that affect the creative industry. The implementation of the guidelines should be done with careful consideration of the potential impact on copyright holders and the music industry as a whole.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What are the concerns of the music industry bodies regarding the CMO guidelines?
A: The music industry bodies are concerned that the guidelines were published without consultation with them and that many provisions are ultra vires, exceeding the jurisdiction granted under the Copyright Act 1987 and conflicting with other existing laws.
Q: How will the guidelines impact the music industry?
A: The guidelines may harm the local music industry, especially the copyright owners of music and video recordings, and disrupt royalty payments if not properly discussed with stakeholders.
Q: What is the solution proposed by the music industry bodies?
A: The music industry bodies propose collaboration with MyIPO to make necessary amendments to the published CMO guidelines to ensure they achieve their intended objectives.