UNMIK ON AIR

9 January 2004

“Artists demand a copyright law”

(By Valon Syla)

While strolling the streets of Prishtina, one can notice everywhere a large number of street-posts with youngsters selling different sorts of CD’s ranging from movies, software, but especially music from all over the world and local. Any of these CD’s is sold to the public for only 2 and a half Euros, quiet an attractive price, compared to the 20 Euros one would have to pay for the same CD any where in the world. And even cheaper when you consider you’re not paying any taxes or author’s copyrights for it.

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Musician’s, composer’s or singer’s lives in general are quite tough when it comes to making a living out of their profession and especially tougher when they don’t have laws protecting them or their music.

The music market in Kosovo, we all agree, has gone a long way since1999, and today most of Kosovan performing artists are working artists; but still they all suffer from the lack of any copyrights or broadcast laws protecting their work from piracy or assuring them any profit.

Xuxi is a renowned performing artist from Kosovo, he also hosts a talk show in Blue Sky Radio; Xuxi too suffers from the lack of laws protecting recording artists today in Kosovo; he says, that It seems in Kosovo everyone profits from music except the musicians

Xuxi: “It is an expression that we use among singers and artists, that we need to pay ransom for the art that we produce. Kosovo has a market for music now, but of course it depends on the composition quality.”

The only benefit for Kosovan composers and musicians today is that when publishing a single or an album they earn some money; the setback is that they don’t get a cent from their compositions.

Xhevdet Gashi is a composer and co-owner of the well-known Unique Sound Studio. Around 35 percent of the tunes played in the Kosovan radio stations today are his productions. But for the last 12 years Xhevdet hasn’t earn a cent from the broadcasting of his own work. Xhevdet believes that a copyright law would improve his situation a lot and adds

Xhevdet Gashi: “The income from our musical compositions would generate some merit for us and with a copyrights law and tax law in place the budget of Kosova would also earn revenue from our compositions”

XUXI agrees with Xhevdet; he now is also ready to publish a new album, but is still waiting for the approval of a copyrights law from the Kosovan parliament to protect his work

Xuxi: “I believe that this law is very important, and with it many things will improve, the approval of this law will make more clear to all of us where the money from art work will go. (Edit 7:05) By the way, we have Sabri Fejzullahu in the parliament and we hope that he will help solve the legislation problems on copyrights.”

And once this is law is in place, all broadcasters in Kosovo will have to pay broadcasting fees to the different production houses, agents, bands and solo artists for their compositions. Still Xhevdet Gashi is concerned about the way that this law will protect his artwork from piracy.

Xhevdet Gashi: “Agencies should be formed to protect our copyrights and I do not think that there should be only one agency, because it will create a monopoly, and that it is quiet harmful for the countries economy”

Another issue that concerns Kosovan artists today is the legal instruments in use presently to register their businesses; with the legislation in place today, there is no special legal status to register a production studio or a film company; so until now they’ve had to register them as different businesses or companies.

Xhevdet Gashi: “I hope that this law will be approved by the parliament as soon as possible, also besides this law, the draft of a new cultural law that will give us the opportunity to register our companies with a special legal status would be more then welcomed.”

The launching of a copyrights law from the Kosovan parliament would get rid of the piracy market in Kosovo, protect the local artists work and generate revenues from the CD’s sold in Kosovo; But most important of all, the many and multifaceted artists of Kosovo will be able to make a living from their art.

And that brings us to the end of this edition of UNMIK on Air. Thanks for listening and stay tuned for more.