Posan Tobing Willing To Be Imprisoned To Fight For Direct License Royalty

Posan Tobing (Ivan Two Men/VOI)

JAKARTA - Posan Tobing responded to a statement by the National Collective Management Institute (LMKN) which called direct license a way of collecting royalties performing rights contrary to the applicable law.

Through an Instagram Stories upload, the former Box drummer expressed his willingness to serve a sentence if indeed what LMKN said was true.

"Dear LMKN. I am willing to be imprisoned or fined 1M (according to what you said in front of the media) in order to defend my rights and protect my work, which I will provide a living for halal food for my family and my children's school," wrote Posan Tobing via Instagram, Wednesday, January 17.

My work was used by irresponsible people so I suffered a big loss. Then I have to be silent!!!!" he continued.

Posan admitted that his work was used by other musicians without giving him any advantage as a songwriter.

"TERUS SAYA HARUS DIAM AJA. COME ON!!!!!!!" he wrote.

Trying to protect his work as a songwriter, Posan Tobing admitted that LMKN's statement made him feel threatened.

"BUT ALONE HONESTLY, THE RESPECTED STATEMENT FROM LMKN MADE ME FEEL THREATENED BY THE SONG AS FEARED. MEANWHILE, I JUST WANT TO PROTECT MY OWN WORK," HE SAID.

The Tobing Posan upload was also re-uploaded by several songwriters who are members of the All-Indonesian Composters Association (AKSI), such as Ahmad Dhani and Mario Kacang.

For information, Dharma Oratmangun as Chair of the LMKN stated direct license, where song users pay royalties directly to the Creator, contrary to the law.

Dharma called LMKN an institution assigned to Law No. 28 of 2014 concerning Copyright to collect royalties for performing rights. He said that other parties who collected royalties illegally violated the law.

"If there is no operational permit from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, it is forbidden to withdraw royalties to commercial users," said Dharma Oratmangun during a press conference at the LMKN Office, Kuningan, South Jakarta, Wednesday, January 17.

"There is a law, the attitude of LMKN is based on law. Therefore, those who do not have a permit and so on can be charged with criminal penalties and fines," he concluded.