Jakarta. The Indonesian government has proposed a new international legal instrument on copyright royalty governance through the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), aiming to promote fairer and more transparent compensation for creators in the digital era.

The proposal, titled “The Indonesian Proposal for a Legally Binding Instrument on the Governance of Copyright Royalty in the Digital Environment,” is a collaborative effort between the Ministries of Justice, Foreign Affairs, Culture, and Creative Economy.

If adopted, Indonesia’s proposal would mark a milestone in global intellectual property governance, positioning the country as a leader in advancing equitable creative economy policies within the WIPO framework.

Justice Minister Supratman Andi Agtas said the initiative seeks to strengthen the global creative ecosystem by ensuring that artists, composers, and journalists receive a fair share of economic benefits from their work, including through publisher rights for journalistic content.

“We are pushing this initiative to advance the music ecosystem. If creators cannot gain fair economic value from their work, we cannot expect the next wave of creativity,” Supratman said during a virtual meeting with Indonesian ambassadors worldwide on Tuesday.

Supratman stressed that Indonesia’s proposal is not in conflict with the existing national frameworks of WIPO member states.

“This proposal will not create friction with major countries or their industries. On the contrary, it promotes fairness in royalty distribution across member states,” he said confidently.

Royalty Reform and Institutional Strengthening
Supratman noted that Indonesia is also reforming its domestic royalty management system, which currently involves two key institutions: the Collective Management Organization (LMK), representing artists and rights holders, and the National Collective Management Body (LMKN), a government-formed institution that collects and distributes royalties nationwide.

“Several countries and creative industry representatives have already opened communication with the Justice Ministry,” he said.

He added that the success of the proposal will depend heavily on diplomatic engagement at multilateral, regional, and bilateral levels. Indonesian diplomats abroad have been asked to promote and secure support for the initiative.

“The Justice Ministry will serve as the technical lead, but our diplomats are the key players. We need their extraordinary support to move this forward,” Supratman said.

He underscored that this is a whole-of-government proposal, representing a cross-sector collaboration to build a fair and transparent global music ecosystem.

“This proposal reflects Indonesia’s pursuit of justice -- ensuring that musicians, composers, related parties, and the national music industry receive the royalties they rightfully deserve,” he added.

Three Pillars of Indonesia’s Proposal
Andry Indrady, Head of the Policy Strategy Agency, outlined three main pillars of the proposal:

• Royalty Governance Under WIPO -- Establishing a global framework for managing phonogram and audiovisual documentation, licensing facilitation, royalty collection, and oversight in royalty distribution.
• User-Centric Royalty Distribution -- Promoting alternative, user-based royalty payment systems while allowing flexibility for other equitable models.
• Strengthening Collective Management Bodies -- Standardizing governance across WIPO member states through legally binding mechanisms and promoting cross-border royalty management.

“Indonesia’s proposal aims to dismantle structural barriers that perpetuate inequality in the global intellectual property regime,” Andry said. “It encourages the adoption of a fair, transparent, inclusive, and sustainable legal framework.”

Diplomatic and Industry Support
Deputy Foreign Minister Arif Havas Oegroseno pledged the Foreign Ministry’s full diplomatic backing, calling the proposal a potential breakthrough for global copyright fairness.

“We stand fully behind the Justice Ministry with all necessary strategies to advance this proposal,” he said.

Minister of Creative Economy Teuku Riefky Harsya echoed the sentiment, saying royalty reform is essential to ensuring equitable economic benefits in the digital economy.

“This initiative guarantees fair appreciation for creators, rights holders, and the music industry as a whole,” Riefky said.