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Kenya 2 June 2007

Isaack Rabin

WHAT IS THE WAY FORDWARD?

It is true that Copy South has not asked all the questions regarding copyright, neither has it given the way forward. Our experiences here in Kenya contradicts what Copy South is all about it, would be better enough if it would have given the way forward on copyright issue. 'Days of people illegaly reproducing creative works are numbered' that is what appeared on one of the daily news papers on 28th May. It was all about copyright. It stated that the 2001 Copyright Act was closing in on criminals who have been photocopying books and pirating music and videos without duly compensating original owners.

On May 31st was the dead line set by the government for all the operators of copying shops to have a licence that will allow them to reproduce published works, and an independet body has already been put in place by the government under this Act to monitor and to licence legal procedures to be applied in mass production of creative works. In addition the government intends to introduce new code labeling method 'the banderole' for all original works that will shield them from illegal reproduction this is an international security labeling method that will be used on CDs, DVDs, tapes and books. Any product without the code will be known to have been illegally produced and will be impounded, this will start rolling immediately after budget which will in normally read in parliament before 10th June. Furthermore afirm is to be put in place to develope the strategies on how a role will be applied on copyrights "the idea is to curb amorphous people engaging in illegal reproduction of people creative woorks without due regard to copyright procedures" that is is what the goverment side says. So for the guys from Copy South, what is the way forward?