MinLaw, IPOS seek public feedback on proposed licensing scheme for CMOs

SINGAPORE'S Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) have launched a four-week public consultation to seek feedback on a proposed licensing scheme for collective management organisations (CMOs).

CMOs - which are currently unregulated in Singapore - manage licensing administration and royalty collection of copyright works for creators, while providing users with cost-effective access to said works.

They also monitor the use of works and collect licence fees on the copyright owners' behalf. Examples of works include music and sound recordings, literary works and motion pictures.

"Effective management and access are crucial to the success of any copyright regime. Thus, it is imperative that CMOs operate with high standards of transparency, governance, accountability and efficiency," MinLaw and IPOS said in a joint statement on Wednesday.

The proposed licensing scheme addresses a range of issues raised in the Copyright Review Report in 2019 and Copyright Collective Rights Management Ecosystem Public Consultation 2017.

The key areas raised include members' rights, distribution of licence fees, information transparency, dispute resolution and code of conduct.

CMOs listed on IPOS's website are Composers and Authors Society of Singapore, Horizon Music Entertainment, Music Rights (Singapore) Public Limited, Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore, and Motion Picture Licensing Company (Singapore).

The public consultation will end on June 30.