Santo Domingo.- EGEDA DOMINICANA, the Entity for the Management of Rights of Dominican Audiovisual Producers, has raised concerns regarding recent rulings by the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) regarding copyright matters. These rulings have deviated from established principles regarding the various uses of audiovisual or intellectual works, posing a significant threat.
The SCJ’s decisions diverge from the precedents set by other appellate courts in the country. They suggest, somewhat arbitrarily, that rights to audiovisual works transmitted to the public through retransmission are assumed by the retransmitter rather than the original producers. This interpretation contradicts Article 80 of copyright law, which stipulates the independence of different forms of work usage.
Nelson Jiménez Cabrera, the managing director of EGEDA DOMINICANA, voiced the detrimental impact of these rulings on audiovisual producers and the Dominican creative sector. He emphasized that such cases jeopardize the progress made by the country’s audiovisual and cultural industries, both domestically and internationally.
Jiménez emphasized the importance of upholding Law 65-00 to ensure fair remuneration for audiovisual producers and respect for their copyrights. EGEDA DOMINICANA aims to safeguard these rights and promote equitable compensation for creators.
The entity has identified various entities, including hotels, health centers, transportation companies, and food and beverage businesses, for non-compliance with Law 65-00. While some of these entities have acknowledged and compensated audiovisual producers for their works, judicial decisions like those from the SCJ undermine the efforts of collective management entities in fostering collaboration between users and creators.
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