AIP ? PARAGUAY

On September 16th and 17th a National Conference on Artists Right and the Collective Management took place in Asuncion, Paraguay. At the conference, the Paraguayan Agency for the Collective Management of Artists, Interpreters and Performers (AIE - Spanish acronym) requested authorization establish an Association for the collective management of copyrights.

Paraguayan Copyright Law and Related Rights Legislation 1328/98, states that entities managing copyrights collectively need government approval and are subject to government supervision. For this reason, on October 6th 1999, the National Office for Copyrights authorized the Paraguayan Author Association (APA) to collectively manage Intellectual Property Rights. Three years later, on March 20th 2002, authorization was transferred to the Paraguayan Phonographic Producers Management Association and now, in 2004, the National Office for Copyrights is reviewing the AIE?s request. The acceptance of AIE?s request would represent a significant step towards the protection of copyrights.

The request was filed by the AIE?s Board of Directors composed of renown musicians in Paraguay, and the Chairman of the International Organization of Performing Artists (GIART) as well as Spain?s AIE, Mr. Luis Cobos.

The Paraguayan Agency for the Collective Management of Artists, Interpreters and Performers, is supported by the Ibero-American Federation of Artists, Interpreters and Performers (FILAIE) and the GIART. In turn these organizations have reciprocity agreements with: AIE (Spain), AADI (Argentina), ABAIEM (Bolivia), ACINPRO (Colombia), ANDI (Mexico), AMAR (Brasil), AVINCPRO (Venezuela), ANAIE (Peru), AISGE (Spain), EJE (Mexico), SENA (Netherlands), IMAIE (Italy), RAAP (Ireland), GDA (Portugal), SUDEI (Uruguay), SARIME (Ecuador), SOMEM (Mexico), SOCINPRO (Brazil) and SCI (Chile).

The Copyrights and Related Rights Law No.1328/98 also stipulates that the National Office for Copyrights must decide on authorization requests for collective management of intellectual property rights within a period of six months from the date of request.