No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveCosta Rican Musicians Demand Respect of Intellectual Property Laws

Costa Rican Musicians Demand Respect of Intellectual Property Laws

Live music, ranging in style from acoustic folk rock to cumbia, floated over the Ombudswoman’s Office Wednesday as a diverse group of musicians gathered to present a complaint regarding disrespect of copyright laws in Costa Rica.

The group of well-respected national artists claimed that the Arias administration’s policies on intellectual property rights were too lax, and called for payment of royalties and recognition of musicians’ rights as workers.

From a stage erected in the parking lot of the government building, Pato Barraza, a renowned member of the Costa Rican music scene for more than 20 years, pointed to his guitar and said, “This is my machete. I am a worker.”

The group of musicians wants businesses like radio stations, restaurants and hotels to pay royalties – in the form of a percentage of the businesses’ earnings – for the music they play, and are requesting that Ombudswoman Ofelia Taitelbaum arrange for negotiations among the artists, businesses and the Legislative Assembly.

“If we talk about the music business, we’re talking about musicians, singers, editors, composers, on top of a whole slew of workers,” Barraza said from the stage. “We’re talking about a whole country here – an enormous business. We’re not talking about one famous musician who gets onstage and sings a song. No. We’re talking about people who take tickets, graphic designers, a whole, huge economic infrastructure.”

While Costa Rica is a signatory to five separate international copyright conventions and treaties, Taitelbaum wants to avoid legal action. Instead, she hopes to find a compromise between artists and business owners.

“We’re going to try to bring both sides together to make a compromise,” Taitlebaum said. “If not, we’ll have to satisfy the law.”

No specific plans for a formal, moderated meeting involving both musicians and business owners had been announced as of press time.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Pushes USA to the Brink but Falls in Penalty Heartbreak

If you just caught the end of the USA vs. Costa Rica Gold Cup quarterfinal, you probably feel like you need another cup of...

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica’s Chaves Slams Supreme Court as “National Disgrace” in Corruption Case

On Wednesday, President Rodrigo Chaves didn’t hold back. In his weekly press conference, he slammed the Supreme Court, calling it a “national disgrace” that’s...

Alligator Alcatraz: Trump’s Everglades Migrant Camp Draws Protests and Criticism

US President Donald Trump toured a new Florida migrant detention center dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz" on Tuesday, boasting about the harsh conditions and joking that...

Costa Rica Extradites David Ochy to Panama for Alleged Money Laundering

Costa Rican authorities have extradited David Ochy, a former Panamanian presidential candidate, to Panama, where he faces charges of money laundering tied to the...

Protests Rise Over Panama Canal’s New Water Project

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino on Tuesday defended the construction of a new reservoir for the interoceanic canal and criticized those who oppose the...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica