The PS/Azores warned on Tuesday in the regional parliament that Chega’s proposal to amend the Copyright Code “jeopardizes the income of artists and cultural creators” by failing to safeguard their right to fair remuneration.

The vice-president of the socialist parliamentary group, Marta Matos, stressed that copyright “is the salary of those who create” and that measures that appear to benefit communities can, in practice, seriously harm the cultural sector. “Without authors, there is no culture. And without fair remuneration, there are no authors,” she said.

While acknowledging that many festival committees and other non-profit organizations face difficulties, Marta Matos argued that support for these institutions “cannot be provided at the expense of those who create and live from culture.”

Chega’s proposal, by setting a maximum payment limit for communities, opens the door to adverse effects. “Nothing prevents, in the face of a legal ceiling, the overall amounts charged from increasing to compensate for losses, nullifying the benefits for those who organize and penalizing the creators,” she added.

Marta Matos also pointed out that Chega’s initiative neglects an essential aspect: the balance between the rights of those who create and those who use. “It is not up to Parliament to place authors and users on opposite sides,” she stressed, proposing instead a more responsible response from the public authorities.

The PS/Azores considers that a responsible balance must be found between the needs of associations and the protection of authors’ rights. To this end, it advocates more proactive action by the Regional Government in supporting collective entities without weakening those who make their living from culture in the Azores.

From Press Release

Translated to English as a community outreach program from the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL) as part of Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno, PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.