Penang – The Government of Indonesia is seeking support from ASEAN member states on the initiation for the establishment of a legal international instrument related to music royalty management in the digital era. This matter was conveyed by the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP), Ministry of Law, at the ASEAN Working Group on Intellectual Property Cooperation (AWGIPC) held in Penang, Malaysia.

At the meeting, Yasmon, Director for Cooperation, Empowerment, and Education of DGIP, expressed his appreciation to all parties involved in the organization of the 77th AWGIPC and emphasized Indonesia’s commitment to strengthening its role in the region after presenting the issue of global royalty management. This forum, which was held on 3–7 November 2025, discussed about policy direction and regional cooperation strategies in facing global dynamics in the field of IP.

“On behalf of Indonesia, we would like to express our appreciation and gratitude to the Chairman of AWGIPC, ASEAN Secretariat, and the host country, Malaysia, for organizing this fruitful event. The meeting is an important space for us to strengthen our cooperation in the field of intellectual property, including in response to new challenges in the digital era,” Yasmon said on 6 November 2025.

Yasmon explained that the Indonesia’s proposal for a legally binding instrument on the governance of digital music globally was previously presented at the China-ASEAN IP Heads Meeting in Xi’an, Shaanxi, China, last week. The proposal will be officially submitted at the 47th Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) Meeting held by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva in December 2025.

According to him, this initiative is a strategic step to realize a digital royalty system that is fair, transparent, and accountable to all authors and related rights holders.

“We are very pleased to seek support from all ASEAN member states to make this initiative a significant milestone in strengthening the position of authors and musicians in the digital era,” Yasmon said.

Moreover, he explained that the proposal covers three major pillars, namely the establishment of a global framework for global digital royalty governance, the strengthening of distribution mechanisms that are transparent and user-based, as well as the provision of accountability standards for Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) across the world. The three pillars are expected to become the foundation for a royalty governance system that is modern and fair.

In his closing statement, Yasmon invited all ASEAN member states to participate in the 76th AWGIPC that will be held in Bali in April 2026. Through this event, Indonesia emphasizes its commitment to promoting copyright protection that is adaptive to digital developments and strengthening its position in the ASEAN region as a strategic partner in formulating global policy in the field of intellectual property.

“We look forward to the opportunity to host and to strengthen our collaboration toward an inclusive and fair intellectual property system,” he concluded.