PPL India's Big Win: Music Royalties Finally Secured?

PPL India has been granted Copyright Society registration, a major milestone for the music industry. This move clarifies sound recording rights, ensuring fair royalties for artists and labels. It resolves past uncertainties, urging businesses to comply with licensing, ultimately benefiting creators and the entire music ecosystem.

In a significant development, Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL India) has been granted registration as a Copyright Society under the Copyright Act, 1957 by the Government of India. Established in 1941, PPL is an 85-year-old not-for-profit organisation representing around 500 music labels, including leading Indian and international record companies like T-Series, Sony Music, Universal Music, Times Music, Lahari Music, Aditya Music, Global Rhythms, and many more.

PPL administers one of the world's largest repertoires of sound recordings and licenses the public performance and communication to the public of such recordings at hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, events, offices, malls, radio broadcasters and other commercial establishments. PPL operates on a not-for-profit basis, granting licences in accordance with its published tariffs and distributes its collections, net of administrative expenses, to its member copyright owners and associated artists in accordance with applicable law and distribution rules.

The registration provides a statutory framework for the collective administration and licensing of sound recording rights and brings greater clarity for businesses using recorded music in India. For several years, many commercial users of music withheld payment of legitimate licence fees on the ground that PPL was not registered as a Copyright Society. As a consequence, copyright owners represented by PPL, and the artists associated with their recordings, were deprived of royalties arising from the commercial use of their music.

With the grant of registration, any uncertainty regarding PPL's status stands resolved. PPL expects businesses and establishments using copyrighted sound recordings without authorisation to regularise such usage by obtaining the required licences and paying applicable licence fees, thereby ensuring that rightful royalties reach copyright owners and artists.

Statements from Leadership

Mr. GB Aayeer, CEO of PPL India, said: "The grant of Copyright Society registration is a significant milestone for PPL India and the music labels we represent. We thank the Government of India and DPIIT for their trust and recognition. We remain committed to transparent and efficient rights management, enhancing licensing processes, and ensuring fair rewards for rights holders and creators."

Mr. Mandar Thakur, Chairman of PPL India, said: "The registration of PPL as a Copyright Society is an important milestone for the Indian music industry, strengthening the framework for collective administration of sound recording rights and provides music users with a transparent and efficient mechanism to obtain licences and comply with copyright law. My sincerest thanks to the PPL Board members that have stood steadfast in their support and to our music industry association IMI for its unwavering support to achieve this milestone."

For further information, please contact: Phonographic Performance Limited (PPL) www.pplindia.org