The publisher rights regulation, if officially established, would help ensure a more balanced media convergence, Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny G. Plate said while speaking to reporters here on Monday.
This move is not to handle domination, but to build a media industry convergence and to maintain a level playing field, he explained.
In addition, it will also allow conventional media and over-the-top (OTT) newcomers to live together and strengthen one another, he added.
Earlier, during the National Press Day (HPN) commemoration eve last month, President Joko Widodo had voiced support for publisher rights and provided guidance so that related parties can review the regulation.
Currently, the media sustainability task force is cooperating with Padjadjaran University to formulate an academic draft, Plate informed.
“Earlier, during a meeting with the Press Council and Press Council’s constituent, it (the academic draft) still has several aspects that need to be improved upon,” he said.
“Let us hope that, within the next two weeks, we can complete the academic draft,” he added.
Once the academic draft is completed, the Communication and Informatics Ministry will submit it to the President to request the initiative right for legal umbrella suggestions for publisher rights.
This will include legal umbrella options that are the most relevant to existing laws in Indonesia.
The legal umbrella concerning publisher rights and digital media will be spread across various laws, including the Press Law, Broadcasting Law, and Electronic Information and Transaction (ITE) Law.
“We will see which legal umbrellas that we can finish quickly but also can be implementable as well as have strong legal foundation,” the minister noted.
The next step will depend on the chosen regulation types, he informed.
If it is in the form of law, whether it is a new law or a revision of several laws, the government must coordinate with the House of Representatives (DPR).
“For the moment, the most likely technical choice is in form of Government Regulation or Presidential Regulation. This is what we are exercising,” he explained
“The bill draft will be in form of these two umbrellas,” he added.
Source: Antara News