NEW YORK, United States, Friday May 17, 2013 - The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR), has placed Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago on a watch list of countries that have failed to make the adequate copyright payments for U.S. musical compositions aired in the broadcast media.
The USTR also decided to retain Jamaica although the country has taken steps to enforce regulations related to copyright payments.
In its annual report released on Wednesday, the USTR called on foreign Governments to ensure that adequate copyright payments are made when US musical compositions are performed in TV and radio broadcasts, over cable systems and in other kinds of public performances.
Replies
If we flaunt our own copyright laws we cannot expect that other countries will uphold their laws concerning our intellectual rights.
I have had occasion to write to the CBC in Barbados concerning the flagrant abuse of copyright laws in the instance of their using a musical composition for which we hold the rights, which they have used for years as their theme song for one of their programs. I have yet to receive a reply.
Similarly there is one company here who used another of our compositions for their television advertisement and to my knowledge have paid no fees to COTT on our behalf. So this is rampant in the Caribbean, at least in these two islands.
Unfortunately I have no way of knowing if something similar exists or existed in Jamaica, but it is shameful that the rights holders should have to police the airwaves and broadcasts to find instances of infringement.