As election fever grips the nation, the music powering the campaign season is under scrutiny, with warnings that creatives could be losing thousands in royalties if they are not properly registered.
The Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) Inc. is urging artists and broadcasters to comply with copyright requirements to ensure they receive the full benefits of their work.
“As the political season is on, the campaign is on, you find a lot of artists on stage performing. These are live performances. But the protection that we speak of is actually the intellectual property,” said ECCO CEO Martin James.
“Those songs need to be properly registered. And if you aren’t a member of a CMO like ECCO or another one, then you will not be getting any benefits from that.”
James explained that international copyright issues can further complicate matters.
“Because some of our reciprocal partners, our affiliates, their copyright act makes no provision for AI, then it becomes difficult for the management. So now you find, whilst you may play that song in an AI song, in terms of registering it and uploading it to the general database for administering across the world, across the OECS and the world, we might have difficulties.”
He emphasized the responsibility of broadcasters in protecting artists’ rights.
“Broadcasters must come on board and ensure that they get their clearance, their copyright license. Whilst they may be paid to perform at live events and gain popularity within the particular landscape, they will not be earning the due earnings from the broadcast of the song if they are not compliant.”
ECCO’s warning highlights the importance of proper registration and licensing as the political season intensifies, reminding artists and broadcasters alike that intellectual property protection is key to securing rightful earnings.