Technology’s role in compliance
IN THE new digital age, technology plays an essential role in compliance. The use of technology has helped to strengthen the effectiveness and efficiency of collecting music royalties over the years. The Jamaica Association of Composers, Authors and Publishers (JACAP) has made it easy for members and the general public to fully understand the extent of the Copyright Act and the importance of being compliant. It is also transparent in how it calculates music royalties and its process of distributing these royalties. The access to this information shows the credibility and professionalism of JACAP over the years. Initially, JACAP utilised The SGS system that was commissioned to be developed for the Association of Copyright Societies (ACCS) formerly CCL, by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This system made it simpler for JACAP to document composers, songwriters, and authors, as well as sharing and distributing royalties collected. Keneisha Hewitt, operations manager for JACAP, said, “We strive to identify the best technologies at the most reasonable costs to assist in streamlining the organisation among its affiliates.” Overtime, JACAP discontinued the use of the SGS system and is currently using a new distribution system known as COSIS. This system is a collaboration between the Swiss collective management organisation called SUISA and Rights Alternative from Switzerland. JACAP also utilised the monitoring system called BMAT by Spanish developers, which is a fingerprint system that monitors and tracks works being played on radio and television.