AMPTPP to ban singers of cover versions

By Our Correspondent
The film producers are up in arms against the singers of cover versions, and the music labels dealing with them. The Association of Motion Picture & TV Programme Producers (AMPTPP) was to meet on July 5 to discuss the matter threadbare and set rules whereby neither the singers nor the music labels manage to bring out cover versions in future.

Pahlaj Nihalani, president of the AMPTPP, told SCREEN that producers will be asked to take an undertaking from all singers, that they will, henceforth, not sing for cover versions. Anyone who defies the ban even after giving an undertaking to the effect will be banned.

"The producers are losing crores of rupees due to cover versions. Say if music rights fetch Rs 10 crore, the music companies earn at least half the royalty from cover versions, thereby depriving Rs 5 crore by way of revenue from the music rights. We are going to meet the members of the Indian Music industry and convince them that in the interest of the industry, music companies should stop indulging in cover versions, though they are allowed to do so under the Copyright Act after two years. Companies dealing in cover versions, particularly of hit film music, are earning in crores but the producers don’t get even a tenth of what they earn. This imbalance in earnings must be put an end to, once for all. I am sure the music companies will cooperate with the producers in the matter," said Pahlaj.

Asked if the music companies refused to stop the cover versions since they constitute a lucrative business, Pahlaj Nihalani said that the producers have no option but to seek the government’s intervention in amending the Copyright Act by deleting the provision for cover version. "But we don’t wish to take the extreme step of fighting with the music companies, because the issue is the showbiz fraternity’s internal matter that ought to be solved amicably between us. The producers and music companies should come together to ban cover versions.

Since most music companies are now producing films themselves, they too will feel the pinch when their own music is copied in the name of cover versions by others," he pointed out
Ganesh Jain of Venus welcomed the AMPTPP’s decision to ban cover versions. "It is good both for the producers and the music companies. If both the IMI and AMPTPP come together to ban cover versions and the singers who sing for them, no music company will violate the ban," he pointed out.

Ganesh Jain added that all music companies which also produce films will stand to lose if others copy their songs.