Latest news with #IPRS
The Hindu
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
The Indian Performing Right Society pushes for stringent copyright and royalty process
Among the ways the Indian music industry has been steadily gaining more vital parts for its ecosystem is a vigilant approach to copyrights and royalties for creators. They could be composers, lyricists/writers, instrumentalists and music publishers, seeking a steady compensation whenever their work is heard or performed anywhere. Writer, lyricist and member on the board of directors at The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS) Mayur Puri says, 'the focus has always been to make artists (or 'creators' as they prefer to use as an umbrella term) aware that there is a revenue model in place even in the age of digital streaming. IPRS was restructured in 2017 and he calls his first few months (around 2019) a 'big learning curve' in terms of understanding copyright law, intellectual property laws and the role of metadata and credits in the Indian music ecosystem. Mayur says: 'When I joined in 2019, we had just over 4,000 members. Today, I have stopped counting, but think we are 18,000-plus, which is the fastest growth in terms of membership drives also.' Creators can become members of IPRS with a one-time application processing fee of ₹1,200 for author, composer and their legal heir and ₹2,200 for a publisher. On the other side of the stakeholders, IPRS' chief executive officer Rakesh Nigam, has increased the royalty distribution income from ₹9 crores to ₹170 crores in the financial year 2019 – 2020. He is more of an execution man, and points to Mayur as being the one with ideas. In addition to the copyright society signing licensing deals, with important players such as YouTube, Meta and Spotify, part of the outreach has been on a more public level — teaming up with Nagaland's Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA), which sent singer-songwriter Abdon Mech to a songwriter camp in Budapest, besides partnering with Serendipity Arts Festival in Goa for a specific IPRS Stage. Despite the awareness and campaigns, a more systemic change is required to enforce how copyright is kept sacrosanct for creators. In 2012, the right to royalties became inalienable from the creator, and Mayur says that is when things started to shift. That means no entity can force an artiste to sign off their royalties in exchange for a flat fee, although this is still a common work practice today in the music industry. Mayur points out that 'compliance', then, becomes a major issue. He, however, adds, 'In developed countries, you see there is no resistance now because they have become a part of the system, and they have understood and accepted the system. In India, in the last few years, most of the big stakeholders, have have embraced this system. Any legitimate business house will not dare to question the right to royalty now.' The challenges certainly remain in a country as vast as India, with a largely unregulated sector for music. 'We are getting royalties from people, but not from some broadcast channels or radio,' Mayu adds. The next step, is to introduce more regulation to ensure an enforcement of copyright laws and the right to royalty, according to IPRS. 'The government is now telling all the stakeholders of the music industry to come together and create a single window license, which they are working on. I do not know how practical it is and how well it is going to be,' he says, referring to the practice of music show organisers obtaining a license to play/perform music. That's from the organisers. For music consumers, Rakesh says there needs to be a drive to bring people on streaming platforms such as Spotify, JioSaavn and others to pay a subscription fee for the music they have access to. He states that from the millions of active users on these platforms, only about four per cent are paying subscribers. Mayur adds, 'Social awareness is required. People in India think music is free, like there is no money required to listen to music again and again. It does not work like that.' He hopes that artistes get to live a 'dignified, honourable' life and need not struggle 'for basic things'. 'So it is important for people to believe that artistes have to be paid and you cannot just listen to anything for free,' says Mayur.
India Today
19-06-2025
- Business
- India Today
IIM Kashipur issues clarification on viral email about placement opt-out
A recent post on X by user Siddharth Gopi raised concerns after claiming that IIM Kashipur asked unplaced students to officially opt out of the placement process. The post quickly went viral, leading to confusion amongst students and the response, IIM Kashipur clarified that the email was part of a regular process required for placement data declarations help make sure that students who get jobs on their own or go for higher studies are not wrongly shown as unplaced. The institute also said it is fully supporting all students who are still looking for jobs and remains committed to being IIM KASHIPUR CLARIFIES? According to IIM Kashipur, several students either choose to pursue job opportunities independently or opt out of placements for personal or professional reasons. To ensure such cases are not mistakenly classified as 'unplaced,' the institute collects signed declarations from students as per the Indian Placement Reporting Standards (IPRS), under which it has been releasing third-party audited placement reports for the past two years.'The email was sent by the Student Placement Committee to correctly categorise students and better support those who are genuinely unplaced,' an official statement said. 'The declaration process ensures accurate classification and integrity in data shared with future recruiters.'The institute reassured that unplaced students will continue to receive full placement support and added that over 180 companies have been invited for placements this year. The audited placement report will soon be published on the official IIM Kashipur website.
News18
19-06-2025
- Business
- News18
IIM Kashipur Clarifies Viral Placement Opt-Out Email, Assures Continued Student Support
Last Updated: The email sent by the Student Placement Committee was intended to accurately categorise students and better support those who are currently unplaced, IIM Kashipur said. A recent post on microblogging site X shared by Siddharth Gopi, Co-founder of claimed that IIM Kashipur has asked unplaced students to officially opt out of the placement process. Students are being asked to exclude themselves from the placement process so that the institute can claim 100 per cent placement, the post stated. In response, IIM Kashipur has clarified that the it is part of a regular process required for placement data audits and assured support to students who are still 'unplaced". Some students either seek job opportunities outside the placement process or decide not to participate in placements for various personal or professional reasons. Hence, the email sent by the Student Placement Committee was intended to accurately categorise students and better support those who are currently unplaced, the IIM said. The institute added that it will continue to be provide support to all unplaced students. IIM Kashipur said it publishes third-party audited placement reports in accordance with the Indian Placement Reporting Standards (IPRS) for the past two years as it helps maintain transparency, the institute said. As part of this auditing process, it is required to collect signed declarations from each student— based on the classification table provided — to ensure that students who have secured jobs off-campus or are pursuing further education are not incorrectly classified as 'unplaced", the institute further clarified. 'To ensure transparency, IIM Kashipur has been publishing third-party audited placement reports in accordance with the Indian Placement Reporting Standards (IPRS) for the past two years, and we will continue to do so. As part of the auditing process, we are required to maintain signed declarations from each student—based on the classification table provided—without which students who have secured jobs off-campus or are pursuing further education would be incorrectly classified as 'unplaced", the IIM said in a statement. 'This classification not only helps in maintaining accurate records but also ensures that we provide correct data to prospective recruiters. The intent behind the email sent by the Student Placement Committee was to appropriately categorise students and to better support those who are currently unplaced. The email also clearly states that support will continue to be extended to all unplaced students," it added. IIM Kashipur has invited over 180 companies this year, it said. The audited placement report will soon be released on the official IIM Kashipur website.
The Hindu
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Singer-songwriter Abdon Mech's inspiring journey from Nagaland to Budapest
Nagaland-based singer-songwriter Abdon Mech's journey makes you believe that dreams come true, but not devoid of struggles. When Abdon started out as a musician two years ago, he felt drawn to cities such as Mumbai and New Delhi. But over time, he became a part of the growing movement of North East artistes to build their fanbase right from their hometowns. His decision finally paid off, and the singer was recently in Budapest, as part of the Artisjus Songbook Camp 2025, held in May, which also saw a total of 30 artistes from across the world. . Abdon's participation was championed and sponsored by the Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), along with the Task Force for Music and Arts (TaFMA)-Government of Nagaland. Abdon says, 'I just realised the importance of what my culture and identity mean to me and how important it is to bloom where you are planted.' He is now driven by the goal to represent and accelerate growth among artistes in Nagaland. The Naga representation started right from his time in Budapest as part of the week he spent in Hungary, where Abdon even sported a traditional Sumi Naga jacket. It has been a five-year-long journey for the singer, who launched his debut single 'Again' in 2020, scored a hit with 'Taking My Heart' in 2022 and recently put together a do-it-yourself open-air concert in March on his home ground, in Dimapur, with thousands in attendance. He credits TaFMA and IPRS for the boost along the way, where at first (like many artistes), he was not sure of what the copyright society did. He lauds IPRS for reaching out to Nagaland artistes and encouraging them to become members. 'For them, coming all the way to the North East and providingaccessibility and inclusivity to someone from this side, shows that they are passionate about the scene as a whole, and not just one part of the country,' he says. Abdon also believes the idea that 'a lack of accessibility' to the North East has changed over the years with more talents taking center stage. 'Over the last few years, the growth has been incredible as far as original music is concerned.' Where cover bands were more likely to draw crowds before, now original music is staunchly supported, right down to artistes printing merchandise and bringing in the sales. 'I think artistes alone cannot take the credit. It also needs to be given to consumers.' At the camp in Budapest, Abdon was exposed to the global music space and 'how different cultures make music differently'. He adds in terms of learnings, 'I appreciate electronic dance music more because there were many of these artistes and producers who were incredible dance music artistes. Just being with them and seeing how they have so much soul into what people classify as soulless music was something I took away.' Put in groups of three to four artistes each day, with a daily task to produce a new song, Abdon was interacting with producers, songwriters and singers. While the singer says he has never worked within that kind of framework and structure to bring out a song in a day, it led to creating several songs with collaborators from the U.S., Hungary and elsewhere. They officially created three songs during their song camp hours, but Abdon shares: 'Everyone was so inspired that after the day was over we would have these unofficial sessions, collaborate and make music till two or three in the morning.' We can expect more compositions coming out later this year as a result of the camp, along with his solo work — bolstered by the creative energy of Budapest.
Mint
06-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Govt proposes mandatory online payment system for copyright licence fees
New Delhi: The Centre has proposed a key change to the copyright regime by making it mandatory for owners and licensors of literary works, musical works and sound recordings to set up an online mechanism for collection of licence fees, as per a notification issued by the commerce ministry on Thursday. The move is aimed at streamlining payments and improving transparency in the way royalties are collected and distributed, especially amid the growing reliance on digital modes of content consumption and public performance. Also read: Reddit says Anthropic used its community to train AI without permission, files lawsuit A notification in this regard has been issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on 5 June, seeking public comments on the draft Copyright (Amendment) Rules, 2025 within 30 days, possibly by 4 July. The draft rules insert a new provision—Rule 83(A)—in the Copyright Rules, 2013, requiring that 'all payments of such licence fee shall be processed exclusively through said online system," and explicitly barring any alternative mode of payment. Stakeholders have been given 30 days to submit their objections or suggestions. Any feedback received within this period will be duly examined by the central government before finalizing the rules, the ministry said. The proposal, once finalized, could change the way licensing entities, including copyright societies and aggregators, operate, potentially reducing disputes over manual transactions and non-transparent fee collection. Legal experts said that the amendment reflects a broader policy shift towards digital governance and accountability in the IP rights ecosystem. Also read: Eminem sues Facebook-owner Meta for $109 million over alleged copyright infringement 'The government appears to be moving towards a fully auditable, traceable digital trail for royalty payments, which will benefit both creators and licensees by reducing ambiguity," said Manish K Shubhay, Partner at The Precept-Law Offices. However, questions remain over the operational aspects—whether existing copyright societies will be required to revamp their systems or if the change targets individual right holders. India has seen a steady rise in content licensing for OTT platforms, radio broadcasters, live events, and public performances, making timely and transparent payments a long-standing demand of creators and music labels. On the proposed draft rule, a senior commerce ministry official said that the amendment was designed to 'facilitate efficient royalty flows and curb evasive practices." However, the draft rule does not currently specify the format or standards of the online mechanism, leaving room for further clarifications during the consultation process. 'IPRS welcomes this progressive move aimed at enhancing transparency and streamlining the copyright licensing process. We are pleased to share that IPRS implemented a fully online and digital licensing system nearly five years ago. Today, over 99.5% of our licensing fees for royalties are collected digitally, ensuring ease, accessibility, and transparency for users," said Rakesh Nigam, chief executive officer (CEO) of IPRS (Indian Performing Right Society), a collective rights management organization. Also read: Rahul Matthan: Shield innovation in content creation from intimidation "Our licensing tariffs are publicly available on the IPRS website, enabling users to choose the license best suited to their needs with complete clarity. We also maintain a strict no-cash policy, reinforcing our commitment to transparency and efficiency. This proposed mandate further aligns with the steps IPRS has already taken and will help standardize best practices across the sector for the benefit of creators, users, and the broader copyright ecosystem."
