Indian Music Industry (IMI), an apex body representing music recording players, are up in arms against Meta’s proposal to make metaverse interoperable.

In a representation to the telecom regulator, IMI said the move would create uncertainty for the music industry when it comes to its right to earn royalty because in an interoperable environment, content licenced on one platform can be accessed on any other platform which may not have the rights to stream that content. 

In an earlier submission to the TRAI, Meta had proposed that “the metaverse should be developed collaboratively, and with interoperability in mind, mirroring the kind of open internet protocols we see in place today that empower people to seamlessly navigate and travel between multiple online experiences.”

In response, IMI said “Interoperability of systems on the Metaverse could raise the potential concern of online piracy considering the nature of interoperability being such that it enables users to access and share content across multiple services in the connected metaverse. In an interoperable environment, different platforms may have varying levels of copyright enforcement measures and policies. This lack of standardized practices can lead to inconsistencies in addressing online music piracy, creating loopholes that pirates can exploit in order to evade liability.”

It said interoperability can also complicate licensing agreements and royalties receivable by music rightsholders from music streaming services. “Different platforms may have distinct licensing terms and revenue-sharing models, leading to disputes and uncertainties in compensating artists and rights holders. Specifically on user generated platforms and platforms enabled on the Metaverse itself, - cross-sharing of copyrighted material by users can lead to potential copyright concerns,” IMI said.

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