MUMBAI: Bunkum!!! Indian music composers, lyricists, and singers were unanimous in their verdict against the stayed ruling given by the Bombay High Court in favour of Radio City against the payment of royalty to the IPRS for music it plays on its stations.
Amongst the creative bigwigs who came together at a press conference to express their discontentment with the court order included Javed Akhtar, Ravi Shankar Sharma (MCAI- chairman), Anandji, Vishal Bharadwaj, Sameer Anjaan, Loy Mendonsa, Ram Sampat, Jalees Sherwani (FWA- president), Anand Shrivastava (MCAI- president), Milind Shrivastava, Wajid Khan, Sulaiman, Lalit Pandit, Surender Sodhi, Aashish Rego and Shameer Tandon.
Lyricist Javed Akhtar was at his vociferous and vitriolic best. It is really double- speak! The radio fraternity has throughout been telling us that they would love paying composers and lyricist royalty and not the PPL. But now it is revealed that the stand taken by them in the court is exactly opposite,… said Akhtar.
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He added that this verdict is regressive, impractical, irrational and I don’t understand how this judgment would stand because it appears to be in gross violation of international treaties, TRIPs, and other obligations. We will definitely appeal in the court and there is no iota of doubt that we will win this case….
Outraged by the verdict director-producer-music composer Vishal Bharadwaj stressed, This only goes to show how vulnerable the community of composers and lyricists are and hence it is high time that the parliament gets the proposed amendments to the Copyright Act enacted as soon as possible. I think that’s the only way to protect all the artistes in this country….
Veteran music director Ravi Shankar Sharma pointed out, We compose songs for films and not for hotels, airports and if it is being used we have to be paid for it. The film Slumdog Millionaire used a piece of one of my old songs after which I took them to court. The producer paid Rs 20 lakhs for the usage.”
Honorary member of Music Composer Association of India Sanjay Tandon said,”The verdict is completely incompatible with the Copyright Act. Unfortunately, the judge has overlooked certain matters as he was shown the wrong side of the picture….
Agreeing with Tandon, music composer Ram Sampat added, “I fail to understand when the composers work and craft is valued in the advertising and the corporate world then why is the radio industry not paying and recognizing their work….
Supporting their stand is the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) which has also come out strongly against any such move by the radio industry or the High Court to exclude composers and lyricists from royalties relating to music played on radio. CISCAC head Robin Gibb issued a release earlier this week expressing support to the composer and lyricists fraternity. That should add more muscle to the riposte that the composers, lyricists and singers will make against the Bombay High Court ruling.
