WORKSHOP ON COPYRIGHT ISSUES IN RECORDING AND FILM INDUSTRY

MHRD Chair on Intellectual Property Rights, Centre for Intellectual Property Rights and Advocacy, National Law School of India University, in association with the Ministry of the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government Of India   organised a Two day Workshop on Copyright Issues in Recording and Film Industry. The objective of the workshop was to create awareness on the current copyright regime among the Recording and Film industry's stakeholders like the producers, performers, Directors, Lyricists, Distributors, Exhibitor, cable operators, intermediaries, consumers and the public in general in the light of the Copyright (Amendment) Act, 2012. The workshop offered a unique opportunity for the intellectual fraternity to identify and discuss issues in the grey areas of the copyright law in recording and film industry. 

 In his Inaugural address, Shri S M Jamkhandi, Director MSME, Bangalore highlighted programmes and plans regarding the MSME and the opportunities available for SME’s with respect to intellectual property rights wherein they provide assistance and legal protection with respect to their rights while filing applications for patents & designs. Mr. G.R. Raghavendra, Director and Registrar of Copyrights, in his key note address, mentioned about the various issues in the field of copyright due to technological development and related changes that the Copyright law made in order to overcome the difficulties caused by factors like internet. He stated that the law maintains a balance of rights and if the balance is maintained there won’t be any problem and that the dilemma arises when there is imbalance in the system. 

The two day workshop discussed on various issues like the ambiguities in the acquisition of rights in respect of cinematography and sound recordings, the challenges faced in the digital world and the menace of audio visual piracy. It also brought to surface the shortcomings of the present legal framework in effectively protecting the rights of the copyright owners, when it come to the matter of execution.