DPRD pledges to protect artists from copyright law

Andra Wisnu ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Denpasar   |  Thu, 10/09/2008 10:27 AM  |  Bali

Bali's Provincial Legislative Council (DPRD) plans to deliver a recommendation letter to the copyright directorate general in Jakarta to halt any copyright process of motifs that may contain elements of Balinese folklore.

In a public meeting for Bali's artists and craftsmen at the Bali's DPRD building in Denpasar, Made Arjaya, head of DPRD Commission I on defense, security and foreign affairs, said he would propose the recommendation letter to the council Tuesday.

"We want to alleviate the concerns of all Bali's artisans who are currently feeling threatened by copyright laws due to the recent criminal case against Deny Aryasa," Arjaya said at the meeting.

Deny, a local artisan, is currently facing trial for copyright theft after his former employer PT Karya Tangan Indah accused him of stealing its Batu Kali design for his crocodile motif.

The case sparked anger among local artisans after it was revealed in court that KTI had applied to gain copyright of 1,200 Indonesian motifs in the United States, about 800 of which have been approved.

KTI has repeatedly denied it tried to copyright traditional Indonesian motifs, claiming it was obtaining overseas copyrights of the company's original designs.

During the meeting, local Balinese artisans expressed concerns that copyright given to foreign companies would expose local artists' work to litigation, furthering fears about developing their arts.

Arjaya said the recommendation letter aimed to prevent similar cases from occurring, and that future legislation and law enforcement efforts must be strengthened to support local artisans.

He said the recommendation letter would first be given to Bali's recently installed governor, Made Mangku Pastika, in the hope of hastening the effort to list all of Bali's traditional motifs.

Arjaya said council members would further lobby the Justice and Human Rights Ministry and its directorate general for copyright to reveal the number and types of motifs registered for copyright.

"The public, including council members, are still in the dark regarding the actual number of motifs that have been registered domestically and overseas," Arjaya said.

"The directorate general needs to be very open about this, not just because it's important to know, but it's also important because we want to pass this knowledge on to the people," Arjaya said.

Arjaya did not set a deadline for the council to announce its recommendation letter, saying only "the sooner the better".

The council is also working to pass a regional bylaw that would increase protection for local artists.

"We plan to pass this bylaw sometime mid-2009," Arjaya said.

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