Music in Yemen needs protection [Archives:2002/27/Culture]

SALEH ABDULBAQI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Yemens music is in need of protection. This is evident with the absence of copy rights and intellectual property rights. Though the Ministry of Culture is doing its best to pass laws related to this issue, the enforcement of this law will remain a challenge.
Protecting Yemeni music would require relevant ministries to coordinate their efforts at the local and international level.
For years now, those responsible for protecting music havent given enough attention to the folklore protection.
Since the Gulf States are more closely related to this issue, coordinating with them would help Yemen reach the desired results. In most cases folk songs and tunes are performed without attributing them to their original sources, especially in the Gulf countries.
Coordination amongst different agencies involved would help finding a mechanism to protect Yemeni music.
Indeed, many leading musicians complain of songs being pirated by other singers, particularly from the Gulf countries. This is a common problem and it needs to be tackled by the government. Strengthening relations between Yemens Ministry of Culture and equivalent authorities in the Gulf countries will help bring a change in our music industry.

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