MUMBAI: The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), the sole copyright society representing the authors, composers, and publishers of music, has been supporting its members, with relentless efforts put in to safeguard their right to fair compensation for their creation. On the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day this year, The Indian Performing Right Society Limited - IPRS (representing nearly 6500 authors, composers, and publishers from all over India) launches the ‘IPRS for Fair Music’ campaign to boost a healthy ecosystem for music in India. Fair Trade Music is about supporting, acknowledging, and celebrating businesses that seek to create an equal trade system through respect and transparency.

To commemorate the occasion, IPRS is collaborating with its members, partners, industry insiders, business leaders, and music creators from across India. The campaign will witness activities in the form of a panel discussion, virtual knowledge sessions, felicitation of fair music partners, and much more spread over the WIPD week from April 26th to 30th. The key activities mentioned below have been conceived to uphold the role IP plays in supporting creativity in music and helping to flourish music and its creators.

I} World IP Day Panel – IPRS in partnership with Indiantelevision.com and Iprmentlaw will host a panel discussion featuring stalwarts from the Indian music industry. The discussion will entail a conversation on the current scenario around licensing and paid consumption of music, the challenges and opportunities spurring over the past year, and the need to build a healthy ecosystem for music in India. Further, it will throw light on how intellectual property helps to fuel the creative and business processes.

II} Know Your Rights – a virtual knowledge session for creators and music right holders on IP and Copyright Lawson 28th April, 4pm: An informative session for Music Publishers and Creators to safeguard their rights. Mr. AmeetDatta, eminent Lawyer – IP/TMT/Trade Compliance, will be discussing the key things that a music creator needs to know regarding Copyright and IP Laws related to his/her creation. The session will benefit all IP right holders in the music industry who are interested to know how they may best protect and preserve their intellectual property.

III} Session on Music Licensing & Fair Pay for Music: IPRS will host an online session on ‘Music Licensing – Why & How?’ on 30th April 4pm, to address the frequently asked questions about different licensing options based on usage and platform, and the impact of licensing, has on supporting creators and the creator community.

IV} Felicitating Fair Music Partners – IPRS is glad to felicitate its Fair Music Partners on the occasion of WIPD, who have extended their support in endorsing fair trade music for a transparent and ethical value chain for authors, composers, and all music right holders. Their partnerships have helped original creators of music earn fair remuneration for their work with well-deserved royalties.

On the launch of the campaign Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO of IPRS commented, "Over the past few years, digital technology and the penetration of internet has created a global marketplace for music which is very encouraging for music creators all over the world. However, the rights of the music right holders need to be also protected simultaneously. We are pleased to launch this campaign along with our partners and leaders from the music industry to spread this message across platforms. Fairtrade music is a practice that needs to be accepted and followed in India. At IPRS, we strongly advocate why fair trade of music is critical and how it will help the original creators. Technological advancements have always played an important role in shaping the music industry, creating new opportunities and challenges. While digitization has empowered creators and taken the music far and near, the creator stands a higher risk of his/her creative ideas getting copied and snags in enforcing his/her rights.”

“Hence, our strategic alliances with prominent OTT platforms, DSPs and national and international players like YouTube, Spotify, Facebook, Apple Music, Hungama Music, Alt Balaji, Ola, McDonald's, Sharechat, PlayNetwork is a significant step towards building an ecosystem to encourage creativity and uphold the rights of creators and publishers of music. We congratulate our Fair Music Partners for coming on board to support the cause we stand for,” added Mr. Nigam.

Talking on the initiative Mr. Aditya Gupta, Director atAditya Music and IPRS Board Member said, “I am glad to be part of this campaign as we always have supported and worked in the interest of music and its stakeholders. We can expect a huge boost in the music business and reap the real benefits, only when we have everyone’s support for fair usage and fair pay. In an ecosystem where the motivating factor of fair pay is absent, the industry will fail to encourage innovation to gain a competitive edge. It is important that we value all those behind the creation and grow together for a viable future in music.”

“Music is a universal language and creators give every bit to create a piece of music or song. Unfortunately, the creation of many is at stake in the rapidly growing music landscape with easy access, mass consumption, and declining appreciation for musical assets, and a lack of credit & equitable pay given to its creators. We are glad to have organization like IPRS, standing up for a cause like this. The exploitation of any creative work is entitled to be duly credited and remunerated. We need to build more awareness about fair pay and fair play of music”, said acclaimed lyricist, poet & screenwriter Mr. Manoj Muntashir.