Memorandum of Agreement between the Union of Discographers of Serbia and the Public Policy Institute in Belgrade has been signed today by Branislav Stojanović, chairman of the board of directors of UDS, and Vladimir Popović, director of the Public Policy Institute.
The Union of Discographers of Serbia (UDS) is a non-profit and non-governmental association, involved in the field of recording and publishing of sound recordings and music. The UDS gathers eminent music publishers from Serbia and the region that have recognized the necessity to protect their rights in the times of widespread piracy, by their own engagement, as well as through the cooperation with related organizations and state institutions.
The goals of cooperation between UDS and PPI are strengthening the protection of intellectual property and active participation in campaigns against piracy and violation of copyright and related rights.
The PPI experts will point out the need for amendments to the laws regulating this field to the relevant authorities. This is primarily the case with the Law on Copyright and Related Rights. Previous changes in the legislation were done inadequately, leading to the decreased level of intellectual property protection. This is mainly related to the amendments to the Law on Copyright and Related Rights from 2012, which were enacted without public debate, under urgent procedure, and by persons who have never dealt with this matter. By passing of such Law, a step backwards was taken in the process of harmonization of domestic legislation with the EU standards. Accordingly, the European Commission has pointed out the negative aspects of this Law in the 2013 Progress Report for Serbia. One of the key problems in the implementation of the Stabilization and Association Agreement is indeed the inadequate legislation in this field.
We believe that further amendments to the Law are necessary and they have to be implemented in cooperation with the representatives of right holders. The Institute will insist on the establishment of a Working group within the Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia, with the aim of drafting the new law. The representatives of the professional associations would also take part in this group. We are firmly convinced that this is the right way for Serbia to arrange this field in modern and efficient manner. At the same time, the objections of European Commission would be rectified and the opening of the Chapter 7 in association process would be accomplished promptly.
Besides institutional cooperation, the PPI will strive to present the significance of respecting the intellectual property rights to the broadest public. The PPI position is that the intellectual property constitutes the civilizational achievement; its protection and respect would give the much needed support and incentive to the creative individuals in Serbia and the region. Only by attaining those achievements we can bring our society to the standards of the developed world.
