February 02, 2009

By By Ed Christman, N.Y.

The Copyright Music Organisation of Trinidad and Tobago (COTT) has signed an agreement with Mediaguide?a provider of real time broadcast, cable and Internet data? to track the use of their songwriter, composer and music publisher members? musical works over terrestrial and Internet radio, as well as networks. Coverage initially will cover Trinidad and Tobago and will eventually expand to other Caribbean areas.

"The implementation of digital fingerprinting technology by COTT will not
only result in more accurate distributions to COTT?s members and to our
Caribbean and international affiliates, but will also enable us to better
monitor compliance on the part of broadcasters? contractual obligations as
well as copyright infringements across the Caribbean, " COTT CEO Allison
Demas said in a statement.

"With monitoring in the Americas, Europe, Africa and now the Caribbean,
[Mediaguide is] providing content owners with comprehensive coverage of
their works," Mediaguide CEO Steve Lubin added. "COTT, in particular, will
now have an efficient and effective way to track music use in Trinidad and
Tobago and other important areas of the Caribbean."

Mediaguide, jointly formed in 2002 by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers has developed, operates and licenses proprietary audio and video fingerprint technology and monitors over 2,700 college, non-commercial and commercial radio stations for music, advertisements and speech.

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