COTT Supports RIATT's call for Local Content legislation

With respect to RIATT's call forlegislation, COTT will continue to support any and all calls for ‘localcontent' legislation aimed at increasing the amount of local music (OF ALL GENRES) broadcast on localairwaves.

 With respect to the ‘copyright' issue, RIATT'ssuggestion for an "independent agency", though no doubt well intentioned, willnot address the fundamental problems currently faced by the Industry. In thisregard, we would wish to make the following comments: 

1.       Any distribution of derived royalties to theindividual collective societies by this proposed agency MUST be based on the USE(broadcast or public performance) of the various works comprising the societies' respective repertoires . . . not on MEMBERSHIP, as suggested byRIATT!! One society might have 100members with 400 active works, while another might have just 50 members with1000 active works. Accordingly, in order to perform this function properly, anddetermine exactly how much money should be given to each society, the proposed agencywill have to have its own tracking andcoding capacity and related data base.  

2.     In such a scenario, it would appearthat the core function of the individual societies would be relegated to simplyreceiving the money from the agency, already bagged and tagged, and handing totheir respective members.   

In effect, this will result in the introductionof a new layer of ‘middle' people into the collection / distribution functionality,who will not be in a position to add any REAL value to the overall process, butwill have to be compensated nevertheless for their "input".  This being the case, RIATT's philosophyprovides the BEST ARGUMENT for a SINGLE COPYRIGHT COLLECTION ORGANISATION forTrinidad and Tobago, and given COTT's constitution, membership andinternational profile and connectivity, it appears to be already best suited tothis undertaking.   

The foregoing aside, however, COTT has beenon record, for some time, as being a strong advocate for arms-length regulation of the Collective Rights Industry.  In addition to this, and in its continuingpromotion of absolute transparency in the conduct of the business of Copyright,COTT's Articles of Association have long provided for a Directorship on itsBoard to be held by a duly appointed representativeof the Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. It is indeedunfortunate that, to date, this position has not been taken up.

Posted by: admin::Nov 18, 2010

::Return