UNAIR NEWS 鈥 Copyright issues in Indonesia鈥檚 music industry continue to shift amid rapid technological and regulatory changes. To provide a deeper understanding of these developments, the Student Executive Board (BEM) of Faculty of Law (FH) 东京热 () hosted a talk show titled 鈥淧osition of Blanket Licenses and Direct Licenses in the Copyright Law鈥 on Monday (Nov 3, 2025).
The event featured several prominent figures from both the legal and music sectors, including Ahmad Dhani Prasetyo (member of Commission X in the Indonesian House of Representatives and frontman of Dewa19), Prof Dr Mas Rahmah SH MH LLM (Professor of Intellectual Property Right), and the musician Candra Darusman.
Opening the event, Knya Lifie Rasendriya, President of BEM FH UNAIR, underscored the importance of the discussion. 鈥淭his talk show serves as a strategic space to examine and clarify two key licensing mechanisms outlined in copyright law. It offers direct insights from experts and practitioners who are deeply engaged in the field,鈥 Rasendriya said.
Performing rights policies and direct licensing in music sector
Beginning the talk show, Ahmad Dhani addressed composers鈥 rights over their musical works when performed live. He emphasized that copyright protection applies not only to recorded or digitally distributed works, but also to live performances, including concerts.
鈥淚 want to highlight that performing rights at concerts must be prioritized. Royalties shouldn鈥檛 be limited to digital streaming platforms or CDs鈥攖hey must also cover live concerts. I use direct licensing myself, where singers pay composers directly for performing their songs in concert,鈥 Dhani explained.
Speaking on copyright management more broadly, Darusman discussed the important role of Collective Management Organizations (LMK) in helping musicians navigate the distribution of royalties across the many platforms operating throughout Indonesia.
鈥淲ith so many entities involved, such as 700 radio stations and thousands of restaurants and concert venues, LMKs exist to streamline royalty distribution so we don鈥檛 have to manage permissions across thousands of platforms individually,鈥 Darusman said.
Dhani also commented on LMK audit findings that revealed oversight issues in royalty management. He argued that LMKs must embrace digital systems to prevent fraud and errors in royalty distribution. 鈥淪ince 2014, all services should have been digital. I follow the laws governing LMKs closely, because without IT-based systems, there are too many opportunities for misconduct. Audits have shown that some royalties for composers were reduced before being distributed,鈥 Dhani added.
UNAIR law professor鈥檚 view on copyright protection
During the talk show, Prof Dr Mas Rahmah reinforced the significance of copyright as a core component of intellectual property rights. She explained that copyright grants creators exclusive authority over how their works are used.
鈥淟MKs should not merely act as intermediaries taking creators鈥 rights. Royalty management must be transparent and professional. That is why an opt-out mechanism is essential, allowing LMK members to exclude certain songs from collective licensing,鈥 Prof Mas Rahmah said.
Author: Kania Khansanadhifa Kallista聽
Editor: Ragil Kukuh Imanto
