FHRAI calls for govt. action in disputes with copyright societies

FHRAI calls for govt. action in disputes with copyright societies

Copyright societies demand royalty payments for copyrighted material that these hotels and restaurants use in their establishments.

The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) is calling for swift measures by the government against various problems harassing the industry which plays a key role in India’s tourism potential.

These challenges were tackled by the FHRAI during its 69th Annual General Meeting held last September 2025 at Le Meridien in New Delhi.

Among these is the growing problem of copyright disputes between industry players and copyright societies. Copyright societies demand royalty payments for copyrighted material that these hotels and restaurants use in their establishments. Often, these businesses find themselves making overlapping royalty payments for the same material, making them suffer financially and exposing them to legal challenges.

The FHRAI during its AGM urged that the government address this problem by making clear the role of copyright societies and restrain the occurrence of overlapping royalty payments.

Rahul Govind, founder and principal at IP Ahead, New Delhi, reportedly said: “The issue of overlapping royalty payments can only be resolved through clarity, coordination and transparency between different agencies.”

Among the measures Govind proposed to solve the issue of overlapping payments is the creation of a unified licencing system; clear definition of each copyright society’s jurisdiction; increased transparency; inter-society collaboration; collective negotiation wherein FHRAI and other industry associations can secure umbrella agreements for members at fair, uniform rates; stronger regulatory oversight; and digital reporting and audit systems.