Azerbaijani composer seeks justice in copyright dispute with Armenian singer

The Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan is investigating a case of copyright infringement involving the song "Yarimgila" by Azerbaijani composer and Honoured Art Worker Javanshir Guliyev.

The song, which features lyrics in the Azerbaijani bayati poetic form, was performed and distributed on social media platforms Facebook and TikTok by Armenian singer Minas Hovhannisyan (Mino), Caliber.Az reports per local media.

Composer Javanshir Guliyev met with Kamran Imanov, Chairman of the Agency's Board, on July 31 to discuss the unauthorized use of his song by Mino. Guliyev has officially requested the Agency's assistance in addressing the copyright violation.

Experts from the Agency, including People's Artists of Azerbaijan, composers Faig Sujaddinov and Eldar Mansurov, have confirmed that the song is based on the mugham "Shushtar" and mirrors Guliyev's original composition.

"Yarimgila," written in 1991 and first performed on Azerbaijani television in 1993, is one of Guliyev's most well-known works and has been registered with the Agency since July 27, 2006.

Mino's rendition of the song involved altering the lyrics without Guliyev's permission and performing it without crediting the original composer. This action infringed upon both the personal and economic rights of Guliyev.

Additionally, the Agency highlighted that the song's text, a form of Azerbaijani folklore, is protected under the national law "On Legal Protection of Azerbaijani Folklore Samples." The law stipulates that foreign entities must obtain permission from the Agency and pay a commission to use Azerbaijani folklore for commercial purposes.

This incident also breaches the "national treatment" principle of the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, to which both Azerbaijan and Armenia are signatories.

The Agency has involved Mikpro LLC, the company managing Guliyev's digital property rights, to remove Mino's unauthorized version of the song from all platforms.

The Intellectual Property Agency, in collaboration with the Public Association "Digital and Audiovisual Broadcasting Industry" (RAYS), will continue to support Javanshir Guliyev in restoring his infringed copyrights.

Further updates on the case will be provided as the investigation progresses.