Tony Laing
Leighton Williams, Staff Reporter
JAMAICAN rights collection societies face a difficult task. They need members and the recruitment process has not been going as well as they would like.
Three of the island's major collection societies - the Jamaica Performers Administration Society (JPAS), Jamaica Musical Rights Society (JAMRAS) and the Jamaica Association of Composers Authors and Publishers (JACAP) - have found the going rough when it comes to recruiting members for their respective organisations.
"We're on a recruitment drive at the moment, because our membership is very low. We just started in 2000 and we have 15 members, who are the people who started with us," explained JPAS administrator Tony Laing.
Mr. Laing added that his organisation was different from JACAP, in the sense that JACAP is authorised to collect performing rights as well as mechanical rights. He added that his organisation is a national collection society representing all categories of performers, including actors, dancers, singers, musicians and others who depict or deliver a literary, dramatic, musical, folkloric or artistic work.
"It has not been easy, since performers' rights is still a new thing. The Americans only set up their organisation about two years ago, while the English did so in the mid-'90s. Performers' rights are a related right, while most of us are copyright-oriented," said Laing.
Laing's organisation has not been the only one that has found the going rough. JAMRAS also pointed out that they have had similar problems when it comes to recruiting members. JAMRAS represents producers and record labels both locally and overseas.
"We're encountering a similar problem, since a lot of people are reluctant, because at the moment there is no financial benefits at the moment," said Phil Mathias, administrator for JAMRAS.
Mathias points out that they have 45 members. However, the recruitment process to date has been slow and stepping up such a drive at this time is not possible because of a court battle with one particular organisation, which Mathias was not willing to make public.
Mathias did point out that his organisation will begin an intensive campaign to recruit more members as soon as their legal wranglings were over.
JACAP's case is different from both JPAS and JAMRAS. It is the only collection society of the three with over 200 members. The organisation replaced the British-based Performing Right's Society (PRS) in 1999.
While boasting a membership of over 200 members, and an average of three or four recruits every week, JACAP's administrator, Steve Golding, points out that the recruitment process has been challenging.
"It has not been easy because we can't take out an ad and say join JACAP. We could, but it would be improper. We have been privileged to have been invited to speak at functions and at some classes to educate people," Golding said.
JACAP is a rights collection society and collects performing rights royalties, which remain with the creators of the works and their publishers (if any), and these are administered by the organisation. JACAP administers the rights of all music creators, local and international.
Although the collection societies are struggling to recruit members for their various organisations, it is not due to ignorance on the part of members of the music and recording fraternity. Stevie Face and Delly Ranks, two of the artistes with whom The Sunday Gleaner spoke, are registered with a rights' collection society. Both artistes also write some of their material, which would qualify them for membership with JACAP.
Face pointed out that he was registered with a collection society which is run by his manager Vasco Carney, who in turn is affiliated with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP).
Face points out that because of this arrangement he does not need to go through JACAP. In terms of the performers' right, which is a related right and separate from copyright, Face said: "I've not got around to joining a society yet but I am thinking of it."
Delly Ranks, who also produces, points out that he too is signed to ASCAP, hence he does not wish to sign to JACAP. "First of all, when you're thinking international you have to have someone overseas to represent you. That's why I went with ASCAP. I don't have anything against JACAP or any of the local bodies, but I wanted to go with ASCAP," he explained.
He points out that he is also signed to PRS, which he said collects performers' rights. Golding points out that there nothing wrong with the artistes' decisions.
"If a local artistes applies to a foreign organisation, that society will ask if we have any objections. We usually don't object. However, I can guarantee that no songwriter will lose anything on his performing rights if he joins JACAP," he said.
While both artistes are looking abroad, the administrators cite ignorance as part of the reason for the low membership. "I think it's ignorance on the part of a lot of people. A lot of people think it's a waste of time, since people have never benefited," Mathias said.
Laing agrees with Mathias, adding that "ignorance is the main reason. We see ourselves as performing and not as performers, so we don't attempt to sign up to collect our rights for performing on-stage."
For now, the three collection agencies have planned more public education campaigns. They point out this is the only way that they will be able to recruit more members.
