MUMBAi: After S L Saha put in his papers in May 2008 as the joint secretary of South Indian Music Companies' Association (SIMCA), ex-treasurer and member J Sridhar has been appointed as the new joint secretary.

When Saha quit in June, Sridhar was handling the affairs of SIMCA on his behalf and was officially appointed as the joint secretary in September 2008.

Talking about key areas of focus, Sridhar says, My main concern would be getting the music labels who are the copyright owners of the music their due rights....

Although SIMCA has 70 music labels under its umbrella down south, it has no authority to collect royalties in its name. The cheques collected by SIMCA for public performances, radio, television on behalf of music labels bears the name of the music labels instead of SIMCA.

In India, Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL)- the royalty collecting wing of Indian Music Industry (IMI) is the only body authorized to collect royalties for public performances. PPL is a registered copyright society under Indian Copyright Act 1957 and has the authority to administer the Broadcasting / Telecasting and Public Performance Rights on behalf of its members.

SIMCA was set up in 1996 as an Association of Music Producers to look after the common problems faced by the Industry in South India. SIMCA has been making a pitch for recognition as a copyright society for Southern music labels alleging that the sole collecting society for sound recordings, Phonographic Performance Ltd (PPL), has not been able to address regional problems.

Adds Sridhar, We have been fighting to be recognised as a copyright society and had the last hearing in 2008. We are awaiting the verdict and hopefully we would be granted the status of copyright society....