Jakarta. The Supreme Court has sided with pop star Agnes "Agnez Mo" Monica Muljoto in a copyright dispute over the song Bilang Saja, overturning a lower court ruling that had ordered her to pay Rp 1.5 billion ($92,000) in damages.

In its decision handed down on Aug. 11, a three-judge panel led by I Gusti Agung Sumanatha granted the singer’s appeal against composer Arie Sapta Hernawan, also known as Ari Bias. The case, registered on July 4, is now closed but still undergoing final administrative processing.

In January, the Central Jakarta Commercial Court had ruled in Ari Bias’ favor, finding that Agnez Mo had performed the song commercially at three concerts in May 2023 --in Surabaya, Jakarta, and Bandung-- without the creator’s permission. That court ordered her to pay compensation.

With the Supreme Court’s reversal, Agnez Mo is no longer required to pay. “If the Supreme Court has ruled this way, then there is indeed no need to pay,” court spokesman Yanto said on Thursday.

The case has drawn national attention as one of the few high-profile copyright disputes involving a major Indonesian artist since the current Copyright Law took effect in 2014. “Since the law was enacted on September 16, 2014, there had been no reported cases like this until Agnez Mo’s,” Razilu, Director General of Intellectual Property at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, told lawmakers on June 20.

Razilu added that under the law, royalties are generally the responsibility of event organizers unless the performer is also the organizer. 

Agnez Mo is Indonesia’s most decorated music artist, with over 190 awards, including Anugerah Musik Indonesia, Panasonic Awards, Nickelodeon Indonesia Kids’ Choice Awards, MTV Indonesia Awards, and an Mnet Asian Music Award. Her 2018 duet with R&B singer Chris Brown, Overdose, appeared on four Billboard charts in the United States. She has also collaborated with R&B artist Ciara and producer Timbaland.

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