Consultations on copyright legislation underway

Jun 29, 2016 News

Consultations on copyright legislation have commenced with both government and private sector stakeholders.
This is to provide a better environment for people in the creative arts industries, explained Advisor on Cultural Policy, Ruel Johnson, in an interview with the Government Information Agency.
Johnson, who himself is a published author, said that in order to create an environment that is healthy for people in the creative industries, “The first thing that we have to tackle is legislation, copyright legislation.”
Johnson said that he has consulted with both government entities and private stakeholder groupings. The aim, he noted, is to create a working group of people who would deal specifically with the copyright legislation.

Advisor on Cultural Policy, Ruel Johnson

The official is looking at interventions that can be made over both short and long term periods. However, even though copyright legislation is on the front burner, if creative artistes are to be fully catered for, other types of legislation must be taken into account.
Johnson disclosed that he has been in contact with the Commercial Registry, the Ministry of Business, the Ministry of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples’ Affairs.
“Now we are also going to be looking at general intellectual property legislation that deals with everything from business branding, packets, to protecting indigenous cultural knowledge, traditional knowledge, that doesn’t quite come under copyright, but comes under protected intellectual property,” Johnson explained.
Once the consultations are complete and consensus is reached, the legislation for providing adequate grounds for creative artist will be realized.
The copyright laws will help to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can be encouraged and allowed to flourish. The laws will provide the opportunity for the producers and creators of various works to profit financially from their efforts, which will be formally recognized.
This includes literary, dramatic, musical or artistic works, sound recordings, films, broadcasts and cable programmes.
The copyright law should have provision which speaks to reproduction of any work by an artiste without the permission of the owner of the copyright who is often the author, but may be the publisher, broadcaster or other person. If the need arises, persons will be required to pay a fee as a price for giving their consent. These fees vary in different circumstances.
Over the years, with little protection, the works of the artistes have been pirated wholesale and are even being resold in broad daylight.
The fines date back to the 1960s, with little recourse for artistes.