Parliamentary Secretary, Tourism, Haydn Hughes, is hoping that musicians from across the region, and the world in general, can come to Anguilla to perform knowing that their intellectual property is secured.
He made the statement on Tuesday, June 19, while speaking at the launching of the True Intentions Band’s Young Meeterz Lab recording studio.
“There is a problem in the global music environment where persons go to recording studios and then there are leaks long before the music is released,” he said. “That compromises the integrity of the artistes, and I would like the world to know that in Anguilla you have a recording studio that upholds and protects your confidentiality and intellectual rights. This is a great opportunity for artistes around the world to come to Anguilla to record, mimicking other studios, including the famous studio inMontserrat, where artistes from around the world went to record and the island was put on the global map as small as it is.”
Mr. Hughes said he had been working hard on intellectual property for over a year together with the Trade and Investment Officer, Perin Bradley. “I have been really pushing the British Government through its representatives Catherine Firth – and His Excellency the Governor – to convey intellectual property rights on Anguilla because we had it since 1809, I believe it was. It was taken away quite recently when there was an amendment. We have been asking the British Government to allow the Government of Anguilla to go into this venture….and we have not been very successful. We have solicited a lot of help and have been collaborating with Lynwood Bell, Dorothea Hodge, and so forth, in London trying to push and impress on them that we really need to venture into this business.
“The British Government receives almost a billion pounds a year out of intellectual property, and the Government of Anguilla can do very well with being able to handle intellectual property in Anguilla. That is the difficulty we have had over a year now…We have done everything in Anguilla that needed to be done for intellectual property, but the British Government still reserves the right to allow us to do so and they have not allowed us. I would hope that out of this someone will hear the cries of the artistes here in Anguilla… We are not trying to make a billion out of it. We are just trying to make a million.”
Mr. Hughes added that the Government of Anguilla and its artistes should be allowed “to have an avenue in order to develop this potential revenue stream.”
