LMKN Affirms Cafes Playing Overseas Songs Are Also Required To Pay Royalties

Head of LMKN, Dharma Oratmangun (Ivan Two Putta/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Mie Gacoan case in Bali has created other conversations about copyright and the use of copyright in public spaces.

As is known, cafes and restaurants that announce songs or music are a form of business that must pay royalties to the National Collective Management Institute (LMKN).

With what happened to Mie Gacoan, several narratives emerged showing the fear of cafe and restaurant entrepreneurs. To avoid paying royalties, they prefer to play songs from abroad.

Responding to this, Dharma Oratmangun as the Chair of the LMKN said that playing songs by foreigners does not mean that entrepreneurs are free from the obligation to pay royalties.

"If they play music in it, whether it's Indonesian music or western songs or traditional songs, it's mandatory to pay for copyright (royalti)," Dharma said when contacted by the media crew recently.

Dharma actually questioned entrepreneurs who did not think about the existing rights of a copyright.

"Why is it so difficult to pay people's rights? We have to educate the public too. Getting profits in cafes or something, but don't want to pay people's rights. That's not good, it's against our culture," he said.

Through uploads on Instagram, LMKN also mentioned that royalties are incentives for musicians, lyricists, and producers. By paying royalties, it means that copyrighted users have guaranteed the protection of their rights to work and the sustainability of the Indonesian music industry.