COTT pays out record high royalties

Despite hitting an all-time high in payment of returns to its membership for the period July to December 2003, CEO at the Copyright Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT), Allison Demas lamented the fact the returns only represent ten percent of all copyright fees collected locally. She told Newsday yesterday, “Although the figure represents a record as such, there is no way I can feel good about it. We have music to fit all genres, but the broadcast media still play 90 percent foreign music. The lion’s share of the returns is in broadcasting so we have to increase the local content.” Broadcast is radio and television and amounts to half of all the royalties, with the other half coming from bars, restaurants, pubs, hotels, clubs, discos and the live concerts. The current allocation amounts to TT$2,888,601.40, an increase of 44 percent over total disbursements made last year. However the payout at this time doesn’t include the Carnival season.

Demas said, “Carnival is different. We expect between $400,000 and $500,000 to be paid out.” COTT represents 1,000 artistes who produce various types of songs and music but Demas said, of the ten percent, most of it goes to soca. “People come in to collect their cheques and they are disgruntled and I can understand why because what plays on the radio reflects what is played outside,” said Demas who compared payments received from the rest of the world for the use of music created in TT. That amounted to $163,338.41 for the same period. She stated though, that the new high-water mark for their collection and distribution was a representation of the effect of implementing upgraded systems for monitoring, charting and collecting fees accruing to members and progress made, though a number of educational seminars mounted during the period which resulted in increased awareness of COTT’s function. Royalties for Carnival 2004 will be distributed in November.