The Solomon Islands Music Federation is having consultations with the Ministry of Women, Youth and Children's Affairs (MWYCA) about the possibility of getting Parliament to pass a copy right act.

The Solomon Islands Music Federation President, Mr. Placid Walekwate said that a working committee of the federation is continuing to have dialogue with the Ministry in the idea.

Mr. Walekwate stated that it is vitally important for the country to introduce such an act to guide and protect the rights of the composer of songs and artists.

He explained that in other countries they have copy right laws which legally obliges media outlets such as radio stations to pay artists when they play their songs over the air.

The Music Federation President also explained that in the case of Solomon Islands, radio stations both here and overseas can play songs without paying for the country's artists or getting their permission to do so.

He said introducing such an act in the country is a way forward for the Solomon Islands Music Industry, as it will help artists in the country to be paid when their songs are played within the country and in other parts of the world whether be it in radio stations or in night clubs.

Walekwate said that today artists around the world are becoming millionaires because they are protected by copy right laws.

He said that to have a copy right act in Solomon Islands, there needs to be a back up process of registration of artists and their products under some form of copy right society.

He added that because there is no copy right law in Solomon Islands, what is illegal in other countries under their copy right laws such as pirating of the work of other artists, people are totally free in Solomon Islands because of the absence of any copy right act.

He said specialized groups such as a collective management society can be established to be responsible for the full management of the rights of artists under a copy right act.

The Federation is also discussing with the responsible ministry about the possibility of including music in Solomon Islands primary and secondary schools' curriculum so that students would have the opportunity to learn music at an early age.

Mr. Walekwate explains that once a copy right law is enacted by Parliament they would set up censorship boards which would screen local music in terms of the language use to ensure that it is acceptable to the public as a way of preventing any negative influence on children by bad expressions used in songs played over radio stations.

He said that the case of local TV, there will be control over video clips, to ensure that TV stations only show clips that are acceptable for the children to also watch them.


SOLOMONTIMES.COM WITH NATIONAL EXPRESS