Government’s Copyright Bill Seeks to Safeguard Journalism

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesian Law Minister Supratman Andi Agtas has assured that the Draft Law on Amendments to Law No. 28/2014 on Copyright will provide protection for journalistic works.

“As the government’s representative, I have initiated and discussed this for a long time with colleagues in the media,” Minister Supratman said during a discussion at the Press Council Building in Jakarta on Thursday, April 23, 2026, as quoted by Antara.

He emphasized that such protection has become increasingly urgent amid the rapid pace of digital disruption, which has fueled the practice of freely duplicating content.

Minister Supratman noted that further discussion is needed regarding the bill’s journalistic norms, but stressed that the government has a responsibility to safeguard intellectual property rights.

He added that the issue is not only about recognition but also about the sustainability of the press industry. “If the press industry dies, that becomes a problem for us. Journalistic works must have commercial value, and we must maximize that value. That’s what we are helping with,” he said.

The Ministry of Law is currently awaiting a presidential letter assigning government representatives to the bill’s deliberations. Minister Supratman also encouraged public awareness and support, saying that media outlets must continue discussing the Copyright Bill to ensure it remains a priority.

The House of Representatives (DPR) approved the Copyright Bill as a legislative initiative in March 2026. The DPR’s Legislative Body has included journalistic works in the draft, recognizing them as protected under copyright.

Deputy Speaker Martin Manurung explained that journalists have long sought recognition of their copyright for their work, which is not regulated under Law No. 40/1999 on the Press. “It’s not just news copied and pasted from one outlet to another. Writing news, like writing a book, is also copyrighted,” he said.

A member of the Legislative Body, Rifma Ghulam, added that Article 19 of the bill defines journalistic work as a creative product, granting it automatic copyright protection.

Journalistic works are defined as the results of journalistic activities, including seeking, obtaining, storing, processing, and conveying information in any form: written, audio, visual, data, or graphics, through print and electronic media. “We adopted this definition from the Press Law for consistency,” Rifma said. ***