Rejecting Road Musician Royalties, LMKN Sindir Big Business Owners Who Ignore Obligations

JAKARTA - The National Collective Management Institute (LMKN) stated that it had rejected the efforts of street musicians who took the initiative to raise royalty funds to be handed over to LMKN.

The LMKN commissioner, Aji M. Mirza Ferdinand alias Icha Jikustik, explained that this rejection was based on two main reasons. First, there are no rules that specifically regulate the collection of royalties from street musicians' activities. Second, there are considerations from the social side, considering that the income earned by street musicians is not much.

"We refuse because the rules haven't regulated that either, and also from the social side, right, how much did they get," Icha said when contacted by the media crew on Tuesday, November 18.

LMKN's decision is also a sharp criticism for owners of large businesses who enjoy the results of using songs without paying royalties.

Icha compared the initiative of street musicians to the condition of business owners who have a potential income of up to hundreds of millions, even billions of rupiah per year.

"That's all they (street musicians) want to be responsible, compared to business owners who (profits) can reach hundreds of millions or even billions per year," said the LMKN Commissioner.

"It's too late to mean street musicians who care about the fate of creators and owners of related rights," he continued.

Although still colored by irresponsible practices, LMKN recorded positive developments. Icha expressed her gratitude because more and more business owners are aware of music royalties and are starting to actively report the use of songs in their places.

According to him, although this process takes time, awareness is the main key. He gave a simple parable about copyright logic: "If for example we want to sell tofu, we borrow motorbikes from people to sell everywhere. But when, those who have motorbikes are not given gasoline, then all kinds of rights are not returned. It's funny," he explained.

He also emphasized that the essence of royalty enforcement efforts is the awareness of work users. The state, through LMKN, feels obliged to protect the rights of songwriters and owners of related rights.

Furthermore, Icha highlighted the sad conditions of many songwriters and owners of related rights whose work is popular, but now lives below the poverty line because they do not enjoy their economic rights.

"There are so many related rights owners, especially songwriters and related rights owners who are also inactive, that lives below the poverty line. Even though their songs have gone everywhere," he said.