Entertainment

Royalties for Reggae

By GERMAINE SMITH, Staff Reporter

CLOSE TO 200 of Jamaica's reggae artistes are tipped to receive over 1,000,000 Euros (approximately $74,000,000) in royalty payments for their recordings that have been aired in France in the past 12 years.

The settlement was reportedly reached on June 28, after three years of court litigation between copyright lawyer, Andre R Bertrand, and ADAMI, the collecting society that represents featured artistes in France.

A press release issued by Definite Records out of England quoted the French newspaper, Le Monde which reported on the happenings recently.

According to the published reports, dated June 30, "... under this settlement, 250 reggae artistes will now share the 'equitable remunerations' due and payable to them for the past 12 years, for an amount of approximately 1,400,000 Euros (J$100,000,000) This sum is paid in lieu of the 'equitable remunerations' due and payable to the Jamaicans featured for the broadcast of their recordings in France during the past years."

The report did not name the artistes, and the details of the agreement are confidential, but based on the report, the amount payable to them will take into account the number of albums or tracks that the artistes recorded, and which have been exploited in France over the years. They will be contacted individually within the next two months to make arrangements for their payments.

No corruption

John Murray-Smith Head of Definite Records told THE GLEANER/ STAR this week that for clarity, the French Bar Society will be overseeing the disbursement of the funds.

"These will be individual sums to be disbursed from the French Bar Society. It will not come from attorney, Bertrand or from me. It will be from the bar society to ensure that it is above board and that no corruption can be involved."

He noted that the sum, when shared, up, will not be enough to take to the bank laughing, but at least it is a move in the positive direction for the business.

"This sum does not mean that they will be able to retire," he cautioned. "It means that they should be paid their due, and this will continue from now."

He said the case developed based on the knowledge he and Bertrand had of the distribution society in France, and the examination they made into a few cases which spread to others. Their aim he noted, was to give artistes what they were due.

"What we have established by this are the Principles of the Rome Convention," stated Murray-Smith. "On this basis we shall continue to restablish the rights of the parties involved ... Reggae has been badly misrepresented by people who don't know what they are doing. Most people in the management of reggae at one time did not know what they are doing with it."

"Our aim is to get legitimacy back into the business and to have it dealt with properly. We want to get things right for Jamaica."