(For those that attended: Denis, Don) It's been a while since the APRA-hosted-WIPO-sponsored PNG & Pacific Music Copyright Summit held from 25-26 July 2007 at the Judith Wright Centre Brisbane Australia. Two years to be exact. Glad to report some progress:
(i) March 2009: Following a meeting, representatives from CHM and PNG Performing Right Association Inc (PNGPRA) developed and submitted a proposal to Investment Promotion Authority to make a country request to WIPO to fund a study of the PNG recording industry - the idea was for the study to map the industry and its players and the situation and make recommendations; (N.B. IPA through the PNG Intellectual Property Office (PNGIPO) hosted a series of meetings from 22-25 June 2009 at their Credit Corporation office here in Port Moresby to introduce the national intellectual property strategy and get feedback. As to whether this strategy and the CHM-PNGPRA proposal are related I am not certain); and
(ii) May 2009: APRA-AMCOS identified PNG works in its logging process and is in the process of contacting the composers - each work could be eligible to share in an upcoming APRA royalty distribution if the songs and their associated rights holders are registered with APRA; but
(iii) We are yet to hear about the amendment to the Copyright & Neighboring Rights Act 2000 titled, "Collective Management Organization regulation" following the WIPO Consultative Meeting last year at the Holiday Inn Port Moresby.
The attachment is an article I ran in Oct 2008 under my Music Speaks column in the weekly SUNDAY CHRONICLE newspaper.
Here's hoping we can kickstart discussion on the music copyright issue!