Surinamese have one Certain culture that many non-surinamese do not understand. They do not admit if they have been wrong and try not to recover the mistake. If necessary, they will never talk about it again and pretend it doesn’t exist. Copyright is such a subject.
After a turbulent period, with a peak in 2015 in which the Copyrights Suriname (Sasur) founded various media to the court, Sasur was made by a change in law from the National Assembly Vleugellam. The company first had to register with the Intellectual Property Office and was only allowed to collect copyright.
It is understandable that it is currently difficult to start collecting copyright. The structure should first be strengthened
The atmosphere was grim and actually everyone agreed that Sasur only had to make the place. Artists decided that they would set up a copyright organization themselves. Unfortunately, nothing left of it and when it started to dawn the sector that a desk like Sasur was handy, it stopped.
In one poku Kruutwho was part of the Kraka project, was talked about a certain structure last week and professionalize the music scene. But copyrights were only discussed at least. That seems like a missed opportunity. Because the lack of the recognition of the rights of music makers does draw a switch on their career. For example, artists are talking more often about radio DJs that they have to pay to play their music. A very curved thing of course, because no author pays a reader to read his or her book.
There are now also many radio and television stations that pop up like mushrooms. They pay a streaming subscription and broadcast films that they also have sponsored and play music that is not paid for. In this time of massameetings and political meetings, all kinds of songs of artists are also being turned and no one who falls into it that it is about the intellectual property of another for whom is not paid.
But there are more negative consequences. Because there is now almost nothing to earn in Suriname with music rights, more and more professional bands, Frans-Guyana, Paris and sometimes Belgium, are going to the Netherlands to release new music. That of course is an obstacle to building a career as a professional in Suriname as an artist.
It is understandable that it is currently difficult to start collecting copyright. The structure should first be strengthened. For example, there should first be a bundling or registration of artists that could go to the table with users of music to discuss a certain compensation model.
But what is absolutely not possible is that the subject is avoided. The fact that no copyrights are collected or paid, Suriname has delivered the nickname ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ in the Caribbean. It would be good if makers and users of music could talk to each other to get the conversations going. Because that the country has to get rid of this pirate status is a necessity.
