TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Royalties 101: Lawsuit stirs up debate in Indonesian music scene
A recent commercial court ruling that found in favor of songwriter Ari Bias in a copyright case has highlighted the ugly reality of unpaid royalties in the country's music industry.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
An illustration of a live concert (Shutterstock/Goran Djukanovic)
A
legal dispute involving singer Agnes Monica, who goes by the stage name Agnez Mo, and songwriter Arie “Ari Bias” Sapta Hernawan has put a spotlight on music royalty governance and compliance.
In late January, the Central Jakarta Commercial Court found Agnes guilty of copyright infringement for performing Arie’s song "Bilang Saja" (Just say it) at three concerts in three cities in 2023 without obtaining the necessary licenses, and Chief Judge Marper Pandiangan ordered her to pay a fine of Rp 1.5 billion (US$91,100).
In her defense, Agnes argued that Arie’s lawsuit was misdirected, and that he should have sued concert organizer PT Aneka Bintang Gading instead.
She has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.
The case has sparked debate in the music industry over who should bear responsibility for ensuring the fulfillment of songwriters’ economic rights.
The Indonesian Songwriters Association (AKSI), of which Arie is a member, has praised the court's ruling, but some musicians say that concert organizers should be responsible for paying creators, since they are in charge of event finances.
Cholil Mahmud, interim chairman of the Federation of Indonesian Musicians Unions (Fesmi) who is also lead vocalist of indie rock band Efek Rumah Kaca, said it was unfair that songwriters were not compensated for their work used in performances. However, he strongly disagreed with suing musicians.
