IPO Pakistan Copyright Societies: Collective Administration Of Music & Royalties

Legal guide to collective copyright administration in Pakistan under the Copyright Ordinance 1962. How artists, composers, and broadcasters collect royalties via IPO-registered societies.

By Syed Asad Hussain Zaidi · 10 September 2026

The Challenge of Copyright Enforcement For a single musician, composer, or author in Pakistan, policing the entire country to ensure their copyrighted work isn't used without permission is practically impossible. If a song is played on ten different radio stations, in fifty shopping malls, and licensed to three television dramas, the individual artist lacks the resources to negotiate licenses and collect royalties from every single user. This is where Collective Administration through Copyright Societies comes into play under the aegis of IPO Pakistan and the Copyright Board. --- What is a Copyright Society? A Copyright Society (often known globally as a Performing Rights Organization or PRO) is a legal entity formed by authors, composers, and other copyright owners to collectively manage their rights. Under the Copyright Ordinance 1962 (specifically Chapter VII-A), no person or association can commence the business of issuing or granting licenses for literary, dramatic, musical, or artistic works unless they are registered as a Copyright Society with the Registrar of Copyrights (IPO Pakistan). How They Work Assignment/Authorization: Creators mandate the society to administer their specific rights (e.g., public performance rights, mechanical rights). Blanket Licenses: The society issues "blanket licenses" to businesses (radio stations, hotels, malls, streaming apps) allowing them to use the entire repertoire of the society's members for an annual fee. Royalty Distribution: The society monitors usage, collects the license fees, deducts a regulated administrative cost, and distributes the remaining royalties back to the original creators. --- Registration with IPO Pakistan To operate legally, a Copyright Society must be registered. The federal government, acting through the IPO, exercises strict control to prevent monopolies from exploiting either the artists or the end-users. The Registration Process An association of creators applies to the Registrar of Copyrights. The government considers the interests of the authors, the convenience of the public, and the capacity of the applicants. Usually, only one society is registered for one class of work (e.g., one for music, one for literary works) to avoid market confusion. Registration is granted for a period of 5 years and must be renewed. [!IMPORTANT] If a society operates without registration, or mismanages funds, the federal government has the statutory power to cancel its registration or appoint an administrator to take over its management. --- The Copyright Board and Tariff Schemes A critical function of a Copyright Society is setting the Tariff Scheme—the rate card detailing how much different businesses must pay to use the copyrighted works. Because a Copyright Society operates as a virtual monopoly over its specific repertoire, businesses cannot simply "shop elsewhere." To prevent exorbitant pricing, the law allows end-users to appeal the tariff. The Role of the Copyright Board If a radio station or a hotel chain believes the fees demanded by the Copyright Society are unreasonable, they can appeal to the Copyright Board (a quasi-judicial body under IPO Pakistan). The Board will review the Tariff Scheme, hear both sides, and has the authority to alter or finalize the rates to ensure they are fair and equitable. --- International Reciprocity Pakistani Copyright Societies don't just protect local artists at home. Through international reciprocal agreements with foreign PROs (like ASCAP or BMI in the USA, or PRS in the UK), a Pakistani society can: Collect royalties for Pakistani artists when their music is played in foreign countries. Collect royalties from Pakistani businesses playing foreign music, and remit those funds to the respective foreign PROs. This global network ensures that Pakistani creative exports generate verifiable, repatriable foreign exchange. --- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) Can an artist collect royalties independently without joining a society? Yes. Joining a Copyright Society is entirely voluntary. An artist retains the right to individually negotiate licenses directly with users, though doing so at scale is logistically difficult. Does paying a Copyright Society cover all IP rights? Not necessarily. A performing rights society collects fees for the public performance of the musical composition. If a TV station synchronizes the song into a commercial video, they may need a separate "sync license" directly from the publisher or record label. Are foreign copyright societies allowed to operate in Pakistan? Foreign societies typically do not operate directly on the ground in Pakistan. Instead, they enter into reciprocal representation agreements with the recognized Pakistani Copyright Society to administer their catalogs locally. What happens if a business refuses to pay the society? If a commercial entity (like a restaurant) plays copyrighted music without a license from the relevant Copyright Society, they are committing copyright infringement. The Society has the legal standing to sue them in the IP Tribunals for damages and injunctions.