Industry IP Groups

• Business Software Alliance
• International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers
• International Federation of the Phonographic Industry
• Recording Industry Association (Singapore)
• The Motion Picture Association

International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers

The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) is an international non-profit, non-governmental organisation established in 1926 with its headquarters based in Paris, France. It has observer status with the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and represents 198 member societies which in turn represent 2.5 million composers, authors, publishers and other copyright owners worldwide.

CISAC’s aims are to protect the moral, professional, economic and legal interests attached to every kind of literary or artistic production of its members. It also co-ordinates the technical activities of copyright societies (also known as collective management organisations or authors’ societies) and serves as an international centre of research and information.

The Asia-Pacific Regional Office of CISAC, which is based in Singapore, also helps to create collective management organisations in the region e.g., the Composers and Authors Society of Singapore Ltd (COMPASS), Music Authors’ Copyright Protection Bhd (MACP), the Yayasan Karya Cipta Indonesia (KCI) in Indonesia, Music Copyright Society of China, Music Copyright (Thailand) Ltd in Thailand and Music Copyright Intermediary Society of Chinese Taipei in Taipei.

International Federation of the Phonographic Industry

IFPI (The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) represents the recording industry worldwide. It has more than 1,400 record companies in over 70 countries,ranging from producers or distributors of sound recordings, major international record companies to small independent producers. Its major members in Asia include EMI Music, Sony Music, Universal Music, Warner Music, BMG Music, Rock Records and Pony Canyon. National Groups representing local record companies are officially recognised by IFPI in 46 countries, including Recording Industry Association (Singapore) (RIAS) in Singapore.

IFPI’s goal is to ensure that the recording industry is able to realise its potential throughout the world - by securing effective legislation, and unrestricted access to markets, both in the physical and on-line environment. In order to achieve this, IFPI activities cover a number of areas including anti-piracy enforcement, new technologies, promoting national legislation and international conventions and providing information on the international music market.

Members of the public can approach IFPI if they wish to discuss applicable copyright or market access issues relating to the recording industry.

The Recording Industry Association (Singapore)

The Recording Industry Association (Singapore) or RIAS is a non-profit trade association representing both foreign and local record companies in Singapore. It is the Singapore representative of the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI).

RIAS's missions are to maintain and foster trade ethics and fair business practices in the industry, create, promote and defend the rights of the owners of recordings as provided by legislation and contracts etc. It also collects royalty payments on behalf of members for the use of phonograms and videograms through the Recording Industry Performance Singapore Pte Ltd (RIPS).

RIAS also works to maintain proper and equal working ethics and generally conduct activities to promote the industry. This includes the maintaining of hits charts, monitoring of the sales so as to provide adequate and timely information to the participating members. Where necessary, the association will have ad hoc projects to address problems that face the industry generally. The Recording Industry Association also undertakes various public education projects to alert the public to the piracy problem and to educate them on the importance of respecting copyright.

Members of the public can approach RIAS if they wish to discuss applicable copyright issues in Singapore vis-à-vis the interests of both local and international recording companies.

The Motion Picture Association

The Motion Picture Association (MPA) is a trade association representing seven of the largest producers and distributors of filmed entertainment (in the United States). Its corporate members are: Buena Vista International, Inc.; Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International, Inc.; Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc.; Paramount Pictures Corporation; Twentieth Century Fox International Corporation; Universal International Films, Inc.; and Warner Bros. International Theatrical Distribution, a Division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.P.

Among its major activities, the MPA seeks to eliminate restrictive trade regulations and non-tariff trade barriers to allow free competition in the international marketplace, assists in the drafting of international treaties that affect the marketing, sales, leasing, taxation and distribution of the products of the U.S. film industry; acts as liaison between its member companies and agencies and departments of the U.S. Government on matters related to international commerce; negotiates industry-wide agreements abroad on matters related to the theatrical presentation, home video distribution, television syndication, and transmission and retransmission of television programs and films, protects the rights of copyright owners in the international marketplace, works with the film industries of other countries on matters of common interest designed to preserve the freedom of the marketplace and directs a worldwide anti-piracy effort to protect U.S. films and home video.