In the wake of controversies and ongoing discourse about copyright royalty both domestical and international, Indonesia is planning to propose a global initiative to reform the way royalties are collected and distributed by digital platforms through the Jakarta Protocol, a framework designed to tackle issues in the global digital economy, where creators in developing countries often receive lower or inconsistent royalties despite wide use of their work.
The protocol was first introduced by Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas at the ASEAN Law Summit in Kuala Lumpur, who declared “Global platforms offer different royalty rates depending on the country. We need a standardized international system,” emphasizing that the protocol would help balance the rights of creators with the public’s access to creative works.
Indonesia plans to formally present the Protocol at the 47th session of the Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR) at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva this December.
Support from WIPO and ASEAN
The Protocol has received support from fellow Southeast Asian nation, Malaysia and Brunei Darussalam who have endorsed the initiative, aligning with Indonesia’s call for a fair, unified royalty collection system. In a bilateral meeting with Minister Atgas, Malaysia’s Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Datok Armizan bin Mohd. Ali expressed his support, noting that Malaysia’s own efforts to strengthen their IP protection.
Furthermore, WIPO Director General Daren Tang have also voiced his approval during a recent visit to Jakarta and Indonesia to present it at SCCR. The Director General’s visit was part of the IP Xpose 2025 event, where he also reviewed joint programs with Indonesia’s Directorate General of Intellectual Property and met with stakeholders from government, academia, industry, and the creative sector.
Addressing Global Imbalances
While the proposal has yet to be publicized, an official publication from the DGIP gives us a preview of what to expect. According to the aforementioned source, the Jakarta Protocol aims to fix structural issues in the current royalty system while targeting four course issues:
- Royalty collection governance
- Distribution transparency
- Centralized copyright data management
- Disparities in royalty valuation between countries
Also mentioned in the publication Andry Indrady, head of the Legal Policy Strategy Agency, noted that developing countries often run a royalty payment deficit to developed nations which The Protocol seeks to change this by strengthening IP governance at both national and international levels. Furthermore, The Protocol may also include journalistic works, following calls from the Press Council’s Dahlan Dahi, who highlighted frequent uncompensated use of commercial news content.
Conclusion
The Jakarta Protocol is part of Indonesia’s broader push to use intellectual property as a foundation for a knowledge-based economy. The government continues to encourage citizens to register, maximize, utilize them to support innovation and economic growth. With support from WIPO and neighbouring countries, Indonesia is positioning the Jakarta Protocol as a key instrument in making the global IP system more fair, inclusive, and sustainable — especially for creators in developing countries.
For more information about this subject or other matters related to IP contact us at ambadar@ambadar.co.id
Sources:
https://en.antaranews.com/news/375161/minister-promotes-jakarta-protocol-at-asean-forum
