The Intellectual Property Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs announced the results of two reviews of the remuneration rate for music works, involving licensing fees for music played in guest rooms of hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, scenic resorts, and wards of medical institutions such as hospitals and clinics. Regarding the relevant rates of the Taiwan Music Copyright Collective Management Association and the Asia-Pacific Music Collective Management Association, the Smart Bureau has approved that it is calculated based on the number of rooms, at 25 yuan per room per year, and covers some public spaces such as lobbies, corridors, and elevator waiting areas; other usage types such as restaurants, shops, gyms, or live concerts will be dealt with separately.
The Intellectual Property Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs recently announced the results of the review of the return rate of two music works. For hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, hospitals, clinics, etc., where music is played, the rate is 25 yuan per room per year based on the number of rooms. (File photo)
There are currently five collective copyright management groups in my country, three of which manage music works, and two manage recording and other related rights. The songs, rights types and rates managed by different groups are not exactly the same. The Wisdom Bureau has also pointed out that if users want to use music extensively, they may need to negotiate with different collective management groups, thus increasing transaction and confirmation costs. For large TV stations and department stores, legal affairs or authorized personnel can be assigned to handle it; for B&Bs, local clinics or small hotels with only a dozen rooms, just confirming which group manages the songs played may exceed the administrative capacity that the operators can reasonably afford. If such a system is to operate in the long term, it is equally important that the authorization process is easy to understand and that the rates themselves are reasonable.
Therefore, in the next stage, priority can be given to expanding the scope of application of the single window. At present, three music collection groups have a common rate for public performances of computer phonographs, and authorization is handled through a single window. Users do not need to negotiate with each group one by one. A recent study by the Smart Bureau also pointed out that a truly complete common fee system should allow users to confirm the required rights, calculate fees and complete authorization through one window. Background music in restaurants, hospitals, retail stores and catering industries is highly standardized and suitable for the next wave of pilot projects. The government can first integrate the licensing information of music works, and then gradually handle other rights such as sound recordings. After allowing operators to enter the business type, number of rooms or business area, they can know which licenses may be involved, the total cost, and which songs and usage methods are covered after payment.
Taiwan's cultural industry has been actively developing film, television, music and digital content in recent years, and a sound copyright licensing market will be an important foundation. If copyright protection is to truly support creators, in addition to defining the scope of rights, it also needs a transaction mechanism that makes users willing to obtain authorization. The rate review has clarified the annual fee per room for hotels and wards, which has reduced some uncertainties; next, the policy can be pushed one step closer to authorization integration. When a B&B, a clinic or a restaurant wants to play music legally, they only need to enter the same platform to understand how much they have to pay, what rights are covered, and the authorization can be completed in one go. For businesses, it can reduce administrative costs, and for creators, it can increase the coverage of legal authorization. If the music market wants to generate stable revenue, a simple, transparent and easy-to-use licensing system will be more efficient than letting each user study complex rights relationships on their own.
The rate review has clarified the annual fee per room for hotels and wards, which has reduced some uncertainties; diagram. (File photo, provided by the public)
(The author is in the information industry)
