JACAP spearheads the collection of performing right royalties
VIABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, and responsibility were the demands of autonomy met by the Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (JACAP) when they replaced the British company Performing Rights Society (PRS) in early 1998 as the local collection agency for performance royalties, representing the interest of authors, composers and publishers of music. PRS collected performance rights royalties in several overseas territories, inclusive of the Caribbean. Steve Golding, the director for JACAP, advised that “there were talks of autonomy for some time and with several foreign entities looking to cash in on the perception that there was no copyright protection in Jamaica at the time, JACAP was an idea whose time had come”. While the reception to JACAP was lukewarm at first, several negotiations with media spokesmen from Jamaica’s radio and television companies lead to a ‘Heads of Agreements’. This came after many efforts by PRS to secure funds owed by these entities had failed. Golding shared: “Some PRS members changed willingly, some were hesitant, some gave us rights for just the Caribbean, and still others have not changed. This latter fact has not affected our growth”. In 1998 when the company was incorporated, JACAP had three members. By the end of 1999, JACAP had a total of 43 members and as of July 2019, an impressive 3,886 members. It became
The company has stayed true to its mandate to license the usage of their member’s repertoire while securing and distributing these royalties collected for songwriters, composers and music publishers.
the second recognised national collective society for music to be established in the English-speaking Caribbean. Golding attributed this success to the accessibility to leadership. He said, “With JACAP now in place, the decision-making process and machinery was right there for potential members to access. Persons appreciated the easy access to rights-management information and at least came in for the dialogue.”
The company has stayed true to its mandate to license the usage of their member’s repertoire while securing and distributing these royalties collected for songwriters, composers and music publishers. With a cumulative royalty distribution of over $70 million as at 2019, JACAP has achieved the highest level of compliance from music users. Further, the company has concluded several reciprocal agreements with major copyright administration entities around the world.
During the celebration of their 10-year anniversary in 2008, JACAP was recognised for its training programmes with the World Intellectual Property Organization and the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers to commence administering mechanical and synchronisation rights. These milestones have landed them among other leading collection societies to date.
JACAP has stayed true to its mission statement that reads: “To be at the forefront of the development of Jamaica’s music industry; ensuring optimum returns for our members – composers, authors and publishers – and increased economic benefits for the nation, equal to the worldwide popularity of our cultural and creative products.”