Copyright pirates have shown no fear of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, whose government has pledged to combat the crime.
Some of the 10 songs on Yudhoyono's recently released album were found to have been pirated in the form of MP3s sold in malls across Jakarta, Sumatra and several parts of eastern Indonesia, said Dharma Oratmangun, chairman of the Indonesian Association of Artists, Singers, Composers and Recording Businessmen (PAPPRI), after meeting with the President on Thursday.
"During the past few months we have come across many pirated versions of the songs Kawan (Friend) sung by Kerispatih, Rinduku Padamu (My Longing for You), which I sing, and Mengarungi Keberkahan Tuhan (Recognizing God's Blessing) sung by Ebiet G. Ade," Dharma said.
In a blow for artists, he estimated pirated versions sell 20 times as many as copies as the original.
"We have discussed this with the President and he emphasized the importance of upholding the law and fighting piracy under copyright laws," he said.
PAPPRI's anti-piracy coordinator, Binsar Silalahi, said 500 million pirated albums were sold in Indonesia every year, resulting in Rp 1 trillion (US$110.50 million) in lost tax revenue. Singers, composers and producers lose Rp 2.5 trillion, he said.
PAPPRI honored the President for album sales, which have reached 44,638 copies, and acknowledged Yudhoyono for his contribution to the national music industry.
"We also proposed to the President that he issue a government regulation to restructure the music business by implementing a new PAPPRI coding system. The system is designed to provide transparency in royalty payments for composers and singers," he said.
PAPPRI applied this system to Yudhoyono's album. Under the scheme, Yudhoyono is entitled to receive 22 percent of retail sales, which is subject to tax, he said.
Dharma said PAPPRI would pay Yudhoyono's royalties during the Graha Bakti Musik Indonesia event on March 31.
According to Dharma, Yudhoyono has composed 11 new songs that will be performed by Indonesian singers on his second album. Dharma, who helped Yudhoyono prepare his first album, declined to disclose when the new album would be released.
During the meeting, PAPPRI asked the President to issue a decree declaring March 9 as Indonesian Music Day.
It also requested Yudhoyono's permission to use his song Kawan as a compulsory song in a national band competition for the President's trophy.
