Now, a body to register rights transactions

By MSM Desai
A national registration body is to be set up by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) in association with the Film Federation of India (FFI) for buyers and sellers of films, music, television and other forms of entertainment shortly. A decision to this effect was taken at the meeting FICCI’s entertainment committee on April 20. FICCI and FFI are holding meetings as part of a follow up action on the points raised at the recent two-day international conference held in Mumbai.

According to Tilak Raj Magan, general secretary of the Film Federation of India, the entertinment committee also decided that FFI should hold workshops at all regional centres including Calcutta, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad to discuss all the issues concerning the entertainment industry. It was also decided to set up a national registration body of buyers and sellers in order to know who holds the copyright of each film. “Gradually, the national registration will be made compulsory for every buyer and seller to furnish all data relating to the sale and purchase of films, music, television, satellite and other rights.

Representatives of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) will also participate in the workshops. Workshops are planned in regional centres for the benefit of those who missed out on the important issues deliberated upon at the two-day international conference conducted by FICCI.

Amit Khanna, co-chairman of the entertainment committee of FICCI said that a quarterly paper on the entertainment industry will be brought out from June to inform and create an awarness among everyone concerned within the entertainment industry about the new technological developments and issues concerning the industry. “FICCI has already written to the government of Maharashtra, urging it to declare the film industry as an industry and to formulate policy on the multiplexes.

FICCI has also written to PG Mankad, secretary with the union finance ministry, to take follow up action on the suggestions made at the two-day international conference held in Mumbai last month. The next meeting of the FICCI entertainment commitee will be held on April 28 in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, a sub-committee consisting Tilak Raj Magan, representing FFI, Usha Amonkar of Modi Entertainment and Sanjay Tandon of Indian Performing Rights Society has been appointed to submit its report to FICCI on its findings, suggesting means to tackle various issues confronting showbiz.