Remixing violation of intellectual property

"It's not fair when after doing everything, someone else takes the credit for doing very little. I've remixed my own songs in my upcoming film Aryan," says music composer Anand Raj Anand who is joining the ever-growing list of disgruntled composers who are unhappy with the mauling that their 'originals' receive at the hands of shake-a-bum-DJs.

With the menace of piracy, clawing at the revenue share, the music companies want the DJs as it adds value to the music album as a product. In a way it also serves as an incentive to the customer for getting more than what he asks for. Moreover, the number of songs is getting lesser in a film, so a remix of each song makes more numbers in an album. The DJs are laughing all the way to the bank as they end up having loads of shows and bulk projects.

"I personally don't agree with the ethics involved in what the DJs are doing these days. It's a violation of intellectual property rights. The situation is similar to the fact that someone makes a painting and someone else adds a small dash of color at the end of it and calls the painting as his own. All I can say is....It happens only in India," Anand Raj Anand reiterates.

Initial reaction of Anand Raj Anand might have been an honest outburst, but during the course of the conversation, his words cloaked a more diplomatic stance. "It's not as if I am against someone remixing my songs for ultimately it has to be an understanding between the music composer, the music company and the DJ who has to remix. Everyone has to be taken into confidence," he says sheepishly. The reason for this change-of-heart is the aggressive bent-of-mind followed by the music companies as they are not willing to pander to anyone's whims and fancies. Nobody is indispensable, they feel. And Anand Raj Anand is no Himesh Reshamiya to get away with anything. But the tussle for creative supremacy shall surely get into a bloody conflict sooner or later. Till that time, could you please pump up the volume on DJ Akbar Sami's Tu Hi Meri Shab Hai.