JASRAC to Collect Copyright Royalties from Music Classrooms

The Japanese Society for Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers (JASRAC) recently announced their intent to implement a policy in which they would collect copyright royalties for performances done in music classrooms. Under copyright law, lyricists and songwriters possess “performance rights”, which are rights related to the performing or singing of the artist’s songs in public. In accordance with this law, JASRAC has been collecting copyright royalties for songs sung in concerts or at karaoke.

JASRAC has recently taken the position that songs performed by teachers and students in music classrooms constitutes “performing in public”, and plans to begin collecting copyright royalties starting next January. As part of this policy, JASRAC considers that an appropriate copyright royalty for the performance rights is 2.5% of the annual tuition fee. With regard to this decision, the Yamaha Music Foundation and the Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co. Ltd. have begun coordinating together in order launch an opposition to JASRAC’s new royalty collection policy.