Inp.polri.go.id - Jakarta. The Ministry of Law and Human Right has reiterated that playing Christmas or religious songs in commercial or paid public spaces remains subject to royalty obligations under national copyright law.

“Copyright protection does not recognize music genres. Religious songs are creative works fully protected by law,” said Achmad Iqbal Taufiq, a legal analyst at the Directorate General of Intellectual Property,  on Wednesday (31/12/2025), as quoted by antaranews.com.

The statement addresses widespread public assumptions that religious songs may be used freely during worship services, concerts, digital broadcasts, or other revenue-generating activities. Kemenkum stressed that all such uses fall under the Copyright Law when economic benefits are involved.

Iqbal noted that popular Christmas songs generate substantial annual royalties globally, underscoring the economic value of copyrighted music. He added that royalty payments are not merely legal requirements but a form of fairness for creators.

The ministry urged event organizers and platform operators to obtain licenses and pay royalties through authorized collective management bodies to ensure transparency and legal certainty.

(mg/inp/pr/rs)