Govt forms inquiry committee on music royalty and intellectual property

KATHMANDU: The government has formed an inquiry committee to study disputes, complaints and systemic problems related to music royalty, copyright and intellectual property.

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation (MoCTCA) on Thursday constituted a five-member panel led by Laxman Bidari after the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers drew attention to the matter, the secretariat of Tourism Minister Khadak Raj Paudel said.

The MoCTCA has instructed the panel to submit a report with necessary recommendations within 10 days of its formation.

The committee includes the Director‑General of the Department of Information and Broadcasting under the Ministry of Information and Communication, the Registrar of the Nepal Copyright Office and the Chief of the Archaeology and Heritage Section at the MoCTCA. Nirmala Neupane, Undersecretary at the MoCTCA, will serve as the committee’s Member Secretary.

Among the issues the committee will consider are intellectual property theft, copyright infringement, unauthorised use, and problems affecting both digital and physical media. The inquiry will cover concerns raised by creators, producers, artists and other rights holders in the music sector.