The end of the year is approaching and it is time to take stock of the year and reflect on the performance in the previous period. The increased trust is a sign that the age of prejudice, misunderstanding and copyright myths as needless levies and business barriers is passing.
In the modern era of the internet and the media, only those ignorant once may think that this entire digital world of multimedia, and the evolving creative work behind it, exists without a complex system of international collective copyright protection. In order to play and perform copyrighted musical compositions, end users need to pay the appropriate fee so that music authors, who are most often invisible and quite in a studio and behind the scenes and stages, are able to make a living.
Thus, fees paid by users turn into a sort of investment into culture and arts. The rationale is that not all music authors, especially not Montenegrin ones, enjoy international fame, play in big concerts and have regional performances to live from their compositions. There are many independent and small music makers who would have to do something else in the absence of income from this source. It is up to the state and organisations such as PAM Montenegro to strike a balance and find a middle ground between the legitimate requests of end users to pay for playing music as little as possible on the one hand, and to provide adequate funds to support creative work of music makers and to protect their copyrights from misuse on the other.
In order to raise awareness on this issue, PAM Montenegro will work even more intensively to implement end user education and knowledge enhancement programmes, which is not only ethical but also a legal requirement and an international standard that has to be implemented within Montenegro’s EU integration process. PAM Montenegro must insist on the request of local and foreign authors and societies that not even a single organiser of festival and a concert, hospitality establishment, local tourist organisation and other users of music in Montenegro should be allowed to use their musical works except in the manner prescribed by the law, or only on the basis of a proper application and a contract with PAM Montenegro.
We are proud that users of copyrighted music are also increasingly recognising the financial benefits, because by signing just one contract with PAM Montenegro, they can legally use the entire world repertoire.
We are pleased to point out that the contracts with PAM Montenegro have been signed by the Public Institution Musical Centre of Montenegro, KIC “Budo Tomovic“, culture centres, local tourist organisations: Bar, Capital City of Podgorica, Tivat, Ulcinj, Royal Capital Cetinje, Tuzi, Bijelo Polje, Danilovgrad, Herceg Novi, hotels Avala Resort and Villas, Bianca, Aman Resort, Falkensteiner, Hemera, Princess, Karisma, Maestral, Franca, Berane, Hemingway, Mediteran, Vučje, Sato, Moskva, Iberostar, Verde, Tre Canne, Ramada, Chedi and many other hospitality establishments, as well as organisers of music festivals and concerts. In general, the situation is satisfactory as music is to great extent played legally in public spaces.
Considering all of the above, which is the result of decades of work behind us, Montenegro, represented by PAM Montenegro, is ranked high in the world rankings according to CISAC official reports, in terms of respect for copyrighted music relative to its population and GDP.
It is a well-known fact that every success requires not only the hard and dedicated work we have demonstrated in the previous period, which was not at all easy and was full of challenges, denials and refutation, but requires above all a good team. And what a team we have! This is demonstrated by more than 600 members (composers and artists) who are, we feel free to say, a more beautiful and creative part of our society. That is why we have no doubt that even greater success and significant results are yet to come and that even better times are ahead for Montenegro and us.
PAM Montenegro
Executive Director, Vasilije Raičević