The Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) is a non -profit organisation incorporated on July 10, 1984. COTT was the first national Collective Management Organisation (CMO) to be established in the Caribbean. Its main function is to manage and license collectively on behalf of music creators and their publishers as well as international affiliates, 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.

The organisation is a strong advocate for the protection of musical works in Trinidad and Tobago and is the leading collecting society in the Caribbean region for distribution to its members and expertise. 

As a founding member of the ACCS (formerly known as CCL) , the umbrella body for the collecting societies in the Caribbean, COTT strives to be a global player in the management of music rights and a catalyst for the most efficient and creative approaches to licensing music.

Our mandate

As an important link between the creators and users of copyrighted works, we ensure that as owners of rights, creators receive payments for the use of their works. Our mandate includes:

• Licensing the use of music in traditional, new and evolving formats i.e.
• Collecting royalties for the use and mechanical reproduction of music
• Increasing royalty distributions to right-holders
• Educating members of the public on the importance and value of music
• Advising government and non-governmental institutions on music rights issues
• Local liaison to international stakeholders on music rights issues

Our Vision

To be a resourceful and dynamic global player in the collective management of music rights and to be a catalyst for creative approaches to licensing music and to provide value added services in the current and evolving environment.

Our Mission

To excel in the delivery of an efficient and transparent service for the collective management of music rights through well trained, highly motivated and appreciated employees and to contribute in an exemplary way to the economic benefit of members and affiliates.