ONDA clarifies Dominican National Anthem is public domain

Santo Domingo.- The director of the National Copyright Office (ONDA), José Rubén Gonell, confirmed that the Dominican national anthem is in the public domain and cannot be claimed as private property. Speaking on the program “Esto no tiene nombre”, he explained that the anthem is protected and administered by the Dominican State under current law, dismissing concerns about alleged copyright claims on digital platforms.

Gonell said ONDA, together with the Ministry of Culture and collective management societies, conducted a review to verify whether any individual had attempted to register or appropriate the anthem. The investigation found no such records in the Dominican Republic. He reiterated that the anthem has been in the public domain since its official adoption in 1934 through Law 700, which recognized the lyrics by Emilio Prud’Homme and the music by José Reyes.

Regarding digital platforms, the official noted that controversies may arise because these systems prioritize monetization, sometimes paying royalties to those who upload content rather than verifying intellectual property ownership. While musical arrangements and performances of the anthem are permitted and may generate rights for the arranger or performer, these do not affect the original work.

Gonell also announced that ONDA is preparing new measures to address works created with artificial intelligence, including a special declaration form to clarify human and automated contributions. He highlighted a sharp increase in copyright registrations between 2020 and 2025 and called for legislation requiring major foreign digital platforms to maintain legal representation in the Dominican Republic to better handle disputes and enforcement.