Local artistes are contributing to the foreign exchange drain by registering thousands of songs overseas.
Overseas registration is so prevalent that many artistes catalogue their entire discography with the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) or the Performing Right Society (PRS) in the UK, instead of the Jamaica Music Society (JAMMS) and the Jamaica Association of Composers and Authors and Publishers (JACAP).
It results in royalties derived from local radio play and show performances being sent overseas.
"Yes, we are losing foreign exchange," said Clevand Brownie who sits on the JAMMS and the Recording Industry Association of Jamaica boards. "A lot of artistes and writers generally do not have confidence in the local offerings, and it is sad."
Producer Stephen McGregor and dancehall artiste Sizzla respectively have over 600 and 400 songs/rhythms registered on ASCAP. Their registrations double that of Elephant Man, Bob Marley, Vybz Kartel and Sean Paul which range between 100 and 200.
"If it ain't broke why fix it," said Vybz Kartel's publicist Claude Mills about Kartel's 102 ASCAP registrations. "ASCAP adheres to international standards of transparency and accountability. We particularly like the accountability."
Local and international collection bodies are linked to the same database from which royalties are administered, yet many artistes prefer overseas collection bodies, said Carol Simpson, executive director of the Jamaica Intellectual Property Office.
"So when [artistes] earn the royalties from the local radio stations or show promotions, those funds will have to be paid over to ASCAP," she added.
Music industry sources suggest that three-quarters of JACAP's collections are sent overseas. It isn't known what portion of this represents local artistes registered overseas versus international artistes.
Caribbean music copyright societies collected euro 3.5 million or J$437 million for 2007 based on the latest data released this month by the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC). The Caribbean was defined as Jamaica, Cuba, Trinidad, Barbados, Belize and Saint Lucia, which suggests that Jamaican musicians received the bulk of the royalties based on the relative popularity of reggae/dancehall.
JACAP, formed in 1999, represents authors and composers of music. JAMMS, formed in 2006, represents record labels and producers. Previously, artistes would register with the now defunct local branch of PRS, said Brownie. Vintage artistes have generally not switched to the local collection bodies because PRS London has assumed the collection.
BY: STEVEN JACKSON Observer Writer