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Diwali message for concert organisers

KOLKATA, 4 NOV: Innumerable music concerts are organised during this festive season and the people who put up loudspeakers blaring Bollywood songs till late at night, seldom take permission from the Indian Performing Rights Society Limited (IPRS).
Musical performance or any song played without a licence granted by the owner of the copyright in that music is illegal according to the Copyright Act, 1957. The IPRS, a copyright society, is authorised by the Union ministry of human resource development to issue the public performance licence to any organisation or individual who is playing music in any public place or commercial establishment.
However, several local performers in the city hardly know of the existence of this society. Even some of the event managers said that they just take the permission of police to organise such performances and in some cases, from the corporation.
Mr Avishek Basu, regional manager licensing (east) of IPRS, said that the religious songs or the music performed in presence of a religious idol is exempted under Section 52 of the Act.
The IPRS approaches organisers of the performances where copyrighted songs are played. The fees collected go to the lyricists, composers and publishers who are the owner of the copyright of a song. “It helps the lyricists, composers and publishers. Wife of Salil Chowdhury still receives help from IPRS. Also, IPRS looked after the treatment of Gulshan Bawra,” he added.
He also said that those who know about IPRS, pay the royalty even when their performance is exempted. Police has also made it mandatory to have a licence from IPRS for issuing permission for the performance. “Singers do not own copyright of a song. This matter is yet to be decided and there may be an amendment in the Act in the month of February, 2011,” he added.

Soma Basu

Soma Basu

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