INTRODUCTION
A lot of people are not aware, or atleast not very clear about the functioning of The Indian Performing Right Society Limited (IPRS). They often ask, what is the business of IPRS?
Well, in short, the business of IPRS is to issue Licences to users of music and collect Royalties from them, for and on behalf of its Members i.e. the Authors, the Composers and the Publishers of Music and distribute this Royalty amongst them after deducting its administrative costs.
The IPRS came into existence on 23rd August 1969. The IPRS is a representative body of Owners of Music, viz. The Composers, Lyricists (or Authors) and the Publishers of Music and is also the sole Authorised Body to issue Licences for usage of Musical Works & Literary Music within India by any person.
Composers are those who are better known as Music Directors, Authors are better known as Lyricists, Publishers of Music are the Music Companies, or those who hold Publishing Rights of the Musical & Literary Works.
The Society is a non-profit making Organisation and is a Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered under the Companies Act, 1956. It is also registered under Section 33 of the Copyright Act, 1957 as the only Copyright Society in the Country to do business of issuing Licences for usage of Music. In other words, IPRS is the only National Copyright Society in the Country which is permitted to commence and carry on the Words or any Action intended to be sung, spoken or performed with the music. It has received the Certificate of Registration from the Registrar of Copyrights dated 27-3-1996.
ADMINISTRATION
The Society’s policy and administration are controlled by a Governing Council of Directors elected by the Members at General Meetings every Year from amongst their own numbers, consisting of Members who are Authors, Composers and Publishers. The Council is equally represented by Publishers and Writers. Further, there is also an equal representation between Composers and Authors as also Region wise between North India and South India. The Chairman of the Governing Council is Mr. Hasan Kamaal who is Author Member.
The Society has its Registered and Corporate Office at Mumbai with branch offices at Delhi, Chennai, and Kolkata, through which, the Society carries on its licensing activities.
ACTIVITIES IN THE FIELD OF COPYRIGHT
The Society is a strong believer in the policy of Education in the field of Copyright. IPRS has been and continues to be a very active Society in the Indian Copyright field. IPRS was able to forcefully get its proposals for a change in certain provisions of the Indian Law incorporated in the 1995 amendments to the Copyright Act. It played a very vital part in the last Amendment to the Copyright Act of India. The Society is a very active member of the Copyright Enforcement Advisory Council set up by the Ministry of HRD, Government of India to advise the Government on Copyright Issues and its Enforcement. Its CEO is a member of the Core Group on International Conventions consisting of specialists in the field of Copyright and Ministries of the Government of India. He is also on the Core Group to advise the Government of India on any amendments that are required to be made to the Indian Copyright Act, 1957.
