HK composer defends MACA, saying royalties not public domain

While surprised by comments in the recent copyright royalty arguments, a Hong Kong music composer said royalty collection entities are not obliged to disclose how the fees are shared with musicians.

On his own Facebook page, Hong Kong composer Ng Cheuk Yin posted a response to the current royalty argument in Macau.

Recently, the Macau Association of Composers, Authors & Publishers (MACA) has become the center of criticism that started with an alleged copyright violation case.

With social media blaming MACA for lacking financial transparency – especially about how it shares royalties with creators – Ng said it is a deal between creators and the copyright entity, “which is a topic worthy of creators’ concerns.”

He also suggested the topic has nothing to do with the public, which “has neither the right nor the need to know.”

MACA has recently criticized two Macau outlets of Hong Kong karaoke box chain Neway for not paying royalties for songs they use for profit-making purposes.

The topic became heated when Neway’s Chong Fok Commercial Centre outlet coincidentally ceased operations after MACA filed a copyright complaint.

The chain’s Hong Kong headquarters has not commented as yet.

Ng was surprised criticisms from netizens had not addressed Neway’s alleged copyright violation but, rather, MACA’s alleged persecution of the business environment.

Declaring he is unfamiliar with Macau’s environment, the composer said similar debates exist in Hong Kong.

He believes they exist because “the public and even musicians are unfamiliar with copyright topics.”

Connections between eligible copyright entities in each territory gives these entities authority over royalty collections in their particular territories, he said.

As such, MACA is entitled to collect royalties for participating copyright entities.

In addition, Ng said that in Hong Kong, a piece of music can be used without royalty 50 years after the death of its composer.

In the EU and the US, the period is 70 years. Therefore, the works of Dmitri Shostakovich, who died in 1975, are still under copyright protection.

In a press conference late last month, MACA CEO, Ung Kuoc Iang, called on all music users to obtain permission before using music not within the public domain to avoid potential criminal and/or civil penalties. Ung hopes that this incident will draw the attention of relevant departments, the karaoke industry, concert organizers and venues, and all music users to the importance of abiding by applicable copyright laws.