MUMBAI: Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) representing over 270 Indian Music Labels for Public Performance and Radio Broadcast licensing of its members' repertoire, has wholeheartedly welcomed the Indian Government’s decision to accede to the progressive WIPO Internet treaties namely WCT (WIPO Copyright Treaty) and WPPT (WIPO Performances & Phonograms Treaty). This puts India in the elite league of countries which value and promote the creative industry and seek to protect their copyright in the internet age.

PPL representing producers of Phonograms or Sound Recordings is particularly enthused with this development as the WPPT grants member record labels, economic rights in their phonograms, specifically:

(i)           the right of reproduction;

(ii)          the right of distribution;

(iii)        the right of rental;

(iv)        the right of making available.

The right of making available, in particular, covers, on-demand, interactive making available through the Internet, a very important aspect in today’s digital environment where economic rights of members are now well protected on this medium as a result of this decision. The treaty empowers right owners to negotiate directly with new digital platforms and distributors.

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PPL chairman Mandar Thakur said, “We applaud the very progressive steps taken by the Indian Government and the DIPP to approve the accession of India and its creative industries into the WCT and WPPT treaties. This is a landmark moment for intellectual property and it’s progression in India.”

Commenting on this momentous occasion, PPL president & CEO Rajat Kakar said, “We are committed to professional collective management of rights for our member record labels and this progressive decision by the Indian Government under the stewardship of the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP) is a welcome move and enhances the economic value of the members copyrights in Sound Recording.”