Business Wire India
Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), has entered into a licensing agreement with The Indian Performing Right Society (IPRS), thereby being able to mine the IPRS music bank for its broadcast and digital business verticals in India.

With access to music comprising millions of works from authors, composers and music publishers, SPN has taken the lead in promoting an organized music licensing industry in the country.

The IPRS is India’s only copyright society, registered under the Copyright Act of 1957, authorized to carry out the copyright business for musical and literary works (lyrics), associated with members comprising authors (lyricists), music composers and music publishers.

Comments:

Ashok Nambissan, General Counsel, Sony Pictures Networks India:
“With this licensing agreement, we fortify our endeavor to remain a network of choice for the creative workforce in our country.”

Javed Akhtar, Chairman, IPRS:
“This is welcome news. I would like to congratulate both SPN and IPRS for working collaboratively. The creative community welcomes Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to IPRS as a licensee and I look forward to this relationship being strengthened further.”

Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS:
“We welcome Sony Pictures Networks India into the IPRS family of licensees. We are excited about our new partnership. We commend SPN’s mature approach to doing business and look forward to a successful partnership. IPRS is committed to working cooperatively and closely with its licensee partners, their continued success is important for IPRS and all its members.”
About Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN)

Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN), is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation, Japan.

SPN has several channels including Sony Entertainment Television (SET and SET HD), one of India's leading Hindi general entertainment television channels; MAX, India's premium Hindi movies and special events channel; MAX 2, another Hindi movie channel showcasing great India Cinema; MAX HD, a high definition Hindi movie channel airing premium quality films; WAH, the FTA channel for Hindi movies; SAB and SAB HD the family-oriented Hindi comedy entertainment channels; PAL, a genre leader in rural Hindi speaking markets (HSM) showcasing the best of Hindi general entertainment and Hindi movies from SPN’s content library; PIX and PIX HD, the English movie channels; AXN and AXN HD, the channels showcasing the best in Reality, Entertainment and Drama; Sony BBC Earth and Sony BBC Earth HD, the premium factual entertainment channels, Sony AATH, the Bangla entertainment channel; MIX a refreshing Hindi music channel; YAY!, the kids entertainment channel; sports entertainment channels – SONY SIX, SONY SIX HD, SONY ESPN, SONY ESPN HD, SONY TEN 1,? SONY TEN 1 HD, SONY TEN 2, SONY TEN 2 HD, SONY TEN 3, SONY TEN 3 HD; Sony ?????, the Marathi general entertainment channel;?SonyLIV - the digital entertainment VOD platform; SPN Productions, the networks’ film production arm and StudioNEXT the independent production venture for original content and IPs for TV and Digital media. SPN reaches out to over 700 million viewers in India and is available in 167 countries.

The network is recognized as an employer of choice within and outside the media industry. SPN is a recipient of several awards, including the ‘Aon Best Employers India’ Award in recognition of SPN’s unique workplace culture and exceptional people practices, consistently ranking amongst India’s Top 10 Companies with Best Health & Wellness Practices by SHRM & CGP Partners and listed by Working Mother & AVTAR as one of the 100 Best Companies for Women in India.

Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited is in its 25th year of operations in India. It has a subsidiary, MSM-Worldwide Factual Media Private Limited and an affiliate, Bangla Entertainment Private Limited in India.

For more information, log onto www.sonypicturesnetworks.com

About IPRS

IPRS is India’s only Copyright Society registered under the Copyright Act, 1957, and counts more than 5000 of India’s best-known author, music composer and music publishers as its members. IPRS is authorized under the Copyright Act, 1957 to carry on the business and granting of licenses in respect of literary works and musical works assigned to it by its members as well as collect and distribute authors’ statutory royalties, for the exploitation of these works either by way of live performances and/or sound recordings through any medium except when exhibited as a part of a cinematograph film shown in a cinema hall.