COTT Profile . . .
Copyright Act 1997
The Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago ("COTT") is the national non-profit (but commercial) association representing songwriters, lyricists, and music publishers in Trinidad and Tobago. Its main function is to manage and license collectively for music creators and their publishers the performing and reproduction rights in their copyright music under the Copyright Act 1997 of Trinidad & Tobago. In this capacity, COTT collects fees from the users of copyright music and distributes the money as royalties to the writers and publishers who own the copyright.
COTT was incorporated in 1984 as a private company limited by guarantee in anticipation of the Copyright Act 1985 of Trinidad and Tobago. Prior to the establishment of COTT, The Performing Right Society Limited (PRS) of the UK operated an agency in this territory as it continues to do in some English-speaking territories in the Caribbean. COTT was the first national collecting society to be established in the Caribbean and began operating in 1985.
COTT does not discriminate. COTT's local repertoire includes all kinds of music - calypso, soca, chutney, ballads, R&B, rapso, East Indian, dub, reggae, gospel - any type of music composed or owned by its members. COTT's international repertoire consists of music from all corners of the globe.
COTT's policy and management are determined by a Board of Directors made up of:
- 6 Writer members elected by members
- 2 Publisher members elected by members
- 2 PRS appointees
- 1 Government appointee
- 2 Persons who are neither employees or members of COTT
The Board delegates the day to day running of COTT to the organisation's employees.
