The Fiji Performing Right Association (FPRA) yesterday discussed the need to increase the copyright term for music composed locally.
FPRA chairman Eremasi Tamanisau said the copyright term for locally composed songs was 50 years.
He said our famous farewell song or the sere ni vanua Isa Lei was composed by the late turaga bale na Tui Nayau, Ratu Tevita Uluilakeba.
Ratu Tevita was the father of Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara, the former president and prime minister of Fiji.
Mr Tamanisau said Ratu Tevita passed away around 1968 and so the copyright period for Isa Lei had expired in 2018. After that time, the copyright protection ceases and the underlying work becomes public domain.
He said once a copyright was created, protection generally lasted for 70 years after the death of the author and in some cases 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation.
Mr Tamanisau said FPRA had made submissions to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and iTaukei Affairs on the need to protect such songs.
“We can put in an interim protection and we can increase the copyright term from 50 years to 100 years,” he said.
“So if they increase that to a 100, that will immediately protect Isa Lei so that nobody abuses the song
. “We also suggested for the song to come under something like the National Heritage because United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) also looks up to things of that nature from various countries.”
Mr Tamanisau said the song Isa Lei could also be used as a geographic indicator for Fiji in order to protect the value of the song.
The FPRA annual general meeting was held at the Fijian Teachers Association hall in Suva.
