KATHMANDU, Feb 24: Artists on Tuesday demanded that the government enact a new Copyright Act, stating that the existing two decades old Act cannot address the increasing challenges of the expanding use of digitization systems.

Currently, the Copyright Act 2002 is in place to regulate the sector. In a program organized by the Federation of Nepalese Chambers of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, artists from audio and visual platforms said that the existing law does not have provision for proper distribution mechanism for royalties.

Copyright is the right that ensures the protection of the original expression of an idea created by an individual. In the absence of an effective law, there are cases of rampant manipulation of the individually-created ideas while the violators are let go free without facing any cash fine.   

The stakeholders sought to frame the growing infringement of the copyright law mainly in the events and celebrations where the songs and dances are used without paying any royalties to the original creators. The need for making uniform the rate of royalties collected from various platforms, making a one-door policy to collect the royalties and strengthening copyright societies were among their demands.

 
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