The Eastern Caribbean Collective Organisation for Music Rights (ECCO) has signed a licence agreement with SAT Telecommunications Ltd (SAT) of Dominica.
Mc Carthy MARIE Chairman of the Board of Directors of ECCO signed on behalf of ECCO while Marlon Alexander, Managing Director of SAT signed on behalf of the Company.
SAT is now legally authorized to transmit on its cable Television network musical works in the repertoire controlled by ECCO in Dominica.
The repertoire controlled by ECCO includes all the music written by ECCO’s own members as well as music written by any member of the 200 plus similar societies in the world with which ECCO is affiliated.
The foreign societies whose repertoire is controlled in Dominica and the OECS by ECCO, include SACEM in France, The Performing Right Society of the UK, ASCAP and BMI of the US, MCSK of the People’s Republic of China as well as the Caribbean Societies – COSCAP from Barbados, COTT from Trinidad and Tobago and JACAP of Jamaica.
Mr. Alexander expressed the view that it has always been SAT’s objective to operate a completely legal operation and the signing of the licence contract with ECCO is testimony to his company’s commitment to honour its legal obligation to compensate all content owners whose works of whatever sort are transmitted on its Cable TV network.
Meanwhile Mc Carthy MARIE expressed satisfaction with the negotions with SAT which always acknowledged its obligation to have a licence from ECCO for the use of musical works on its service.
According to him, the negotiations were always conducted in a frank and professional manner and he is pleased that it was not necessary to threaten or initiate any legal action against SAT as ECCO has had to do with other music users in Dominica and the wider OECS.
The agreement was signed on Friday 8th March 2013.
great. some not even seeing the importance of this. or maybe musicians and writters have no idea what copyright is
I would have shut the business down and tell AID bank come take der place for this terrorism. This is a mafia operation. One cannot be paying to transmit from the source, who alla re already paying, and you collecting a second third and fouth time. Marlon you are finshed. Mark I back you, just swing in your hammock and draw month end with a cigar pipe in your mouth. This is what is klling all business in Dominica,. marlon you shoot in your goal. You put a penalty direct in your own Goal post.
This is a very important step for the industry.