Hotel and restaurant group in India calls for gov’t action in disputes with copyright societies
21 October 2025
Rahul Govind, founder and principal @ IP Ahead, New Delhi
The Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) is calling for swift measures by the government against various problems hounding the industry which plays a key role in India’s tourism potential.
The FHRAI tackled these challenges during its 69th Annual General Meeting held last September 2025 at Le Meridien in New Delhi.
Among these is the growing problem concerning copyright disputes between industry players and copyright societies. The latter 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.
During its Annual General Meeting, the FHRAI urged that the government address this problem by clarifying the role of copyright societies and curb the incidence of overlapping royalty payments.
“The issue of overlapping royalty payments can only be resolved through clarity, coordination and transparency between different agencies,” said Rahul Govind, founder and principal at IP Ahead in New Delhi.
He proposed some measures to solve the issue of overlapping payments.
First of these is to create a unified licensing system. It could be one transparent portal or license covering all copyright uses to prevent double payments.
Govind also agreed that each copyright society’s jurisdiction must be clearly defined with clarification on which rights each society can administer.
There must be increased transparency. “All societies must publicly list their repertoire, fee structures and payment terms,” he said.
Inter-society coordination is also a must. “Copyright societies should collaborate and share data to avoid overlapping claims,” he explained.
Another measure is to promote collective negotiation where FHRAI and other industry associations can secure umbrella agreements for members at fair, uniform rates.
A stronger regulatory oversight will also be helpful. He said the Copyright Office or Registrar should monitor collections and dispute resolution to protect both creators and users.
The same goes for digital reporting and audit systems. “Use technology to track usage, streamline payments and maintain accountability,” said Govind.
- Espie Angelica A. de Leon
