Rajya Sabha nod for Copyright Amendment Bill
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NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Thursday approved the Copyright Amendment Bill which seeks to remove operational difficulties and address newer issues related to the digital world and worldwide web. The Bill could, however, be passed with the government dropping a provision of giving royalty to the principal director of a film.
The Bill, moved by HRD minister Kapil Sibal, also seeks to bring Indian laws originally enacted in 1957 in conformity with international norms and World Intellectual Property Organization.
Replying to the debate, Sibal said a clause with a provision of giving royalty to the principal director of a film has been dropped in keeping with the suggestion of the Parliamentary standing committee.
“We wanted to actually give this right over royalty to principle director. He is perhaps principal creator. But there was a feeling expressed by Parliamentary Standing Committee that time is not ripe to give that right. So, we are dropping (it),” he said.
Initiating the discussion, nominated member and lyricist Javed Akhtar complained that companies have sway over songs and the writers and singers do not get much from the commercial success. “Music company dictates terms to even noted musicians like A R Rahman and others,” he said.
Samajwadi Party member Jaya Bachchan talked about widespread prevalence of pirated songs and music and urged that the Bill should address the issue. She stressed that everybody associated with creation of a song of film should be rewarded as these are “created collectively”.
The Bill reflects seven broad areas, including right of author and music composer, right to visually impaired, extending compulsory regime to unpublished work, imposition of punitive actions among others.
Sibal said piracy issue has been dealt with properly in the Bill. “We have embraced the wisdom of the Standing Committee in bringing about various provisions of this Bill,” he said.
While moving the Bill, the minister said, “We are in the midst of new era, which I call digital era. In this digital era, the nature of rights of stakeholders need to be looked afresh.”
He said as technology develops, “we need to understand complexities and ensure that key stakeholders’ rights are protected and take benefit of digital era.” He assured the work of dubbing artists would also be protected by the Act.
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