An agreement to strengthen copyright and further economic growth in the creative sectors across Africa has been signed by CISAC and the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation.
The Memorandum of Understanding paves the way for joint projects on strengthening copyright, technical exchange, education, and training of organisations collecting revenues for creators.
Africa has been a largely untapped market thanks to low levels of internet penetration and challenging conditions for the rights of creators.
However, it has been earmarked as an area that holds big potential for future economic growth for the music industry and other creative sectors.
Royalty collections for creators in the region, by CISAC member societies and across multiple repertoires, grew 14.9% in 2015 to $68.6 million, according to CISAC’s 2016 Global Collections Report.
This represents less than 1% of global collections, which total $9.5 billion.
Africa’s creative and cultural industries are worth $58bn, and employ 2.4m people, according to an economic study commissioned by CISAC and prepared by EY in 2015.
Signing the agreement at a ceremony in Harare at the ARIPO headquarters today, CISAC Director General Gadi Oron said: “In today’s economy, creators and creative industries are a huge driver of growth and jobs, and this is only going to escalate in the future.
“African governments, like their counterparts globally, are realising that to nurture this potential, more actions are needed to promote and protect creators’ rights.”
gadi oron, cisac
“African governments, like their counterparts globally, are realising that to nurture this potential, more actions are needed to promote and protect creators’ rights.
“We look forward to a close collaboration with ARIPO, including opportunities for research that can demonstrate the huge economic benefits of creative industries in Africa.
“Today’s agreement is a positive forward step, bringing together two hubs of international expertise to work on improving the environment for the creative sector.”
Pictured: [L-R] CISAC Director General Gadi Oron and ARIPO Director General Fernando dos Santos
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