The public association “Oficiul Republican al Dreptului de Autor” (“National Copyright Office”), the national association “Copyright” and a number of singers called upon Parliament not to adopt a legislative initiative that institutes a monopoly on the management of copyright.

In a news conference at IPN, head of the National Copyright Office Viorica Nagacevschi said there are four copyright management associations in Moldova and the people of art can choose one of them to represent them and to collect the honorarium for copyright. Things moved on only after the market was demonopolized and the holders of copyright started to be satisfied with the associations representing them.

But, at the end of 2013, the Parliament’s commission on culture, education, sport and mass media decided to propose amendments to the legislating and, on the last 100 meters, modified the bill without consulting the interested persons. The variant proposed by the commission says that only the associations with considerable membership can manage the honorariums for copyright.

National Copyright Office lawyer Alexandru Melnic told the journalists that the law now allows authorizing several associations to collect honorariums. If Parliament adopts the proposed amendments, a holder of copyright will have to become member of only one association so as to be able to receive the honorarium. The institution of a new monopoly on copyright management is not at all beneficial.

Composer Liviu Stirbu, who heads the association “Copyright”, said the bill runs counter to everything that was done earlier. It will infringe on the people of art’s constitutional right to free choice.

Head of the Association of Singers of Moldova Nelly Ciobanu said the artists should have been asked at least to pronounce on these changes, while singer Adrian Ursu said they are against returning to the situation that existed five years ago, when one organization managed all the rights.

Singer Nona Marian underlined the importance of healthy competition in this field. According to her, the changes implemented over the last two years were beneficial, but now the made efforts risk being compromised.

Singer Valy Boghean, who is a member of the Board of the National Copyright Office, said that when the copyright management market was monopolized, somebody enjoyed advantages. The monopolization of the market does not contribute to promoting the interests of the people of art and does not ensure the correct information of society about the need to pay for copyright.