The ECOWAS Commission, with support from the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), has called on Directors General of copyright offices from Member States to collaborate on strategies aimed at accelerating the implementation of private copying royalties’ systems across Member States.
The workshop took place at the Coconut Grove Hotel in Accra, Ghana from 18 to 20 September 2024. It was chaired by Mr. Andrew Egyapa Mercer, Ghana’s Minister for Tourism, Arts, and Culture. In his opening remarks, Mr. Mercer commended ECOWAS for this initiative and emphasized its role in ensuring that authors and creators receive fair compensation for their contributions to society. He urged Directors General to explore strategies for harmonizing private copying across the region with the primary objective of strengthening capacity and developing a unified strategy for all ECOWAS Member States.
Speaking on behalf of Prof. Fatou SOW/SARR, ECOWAS Commissioner for Human Development and Social Affairs, Dr. Roland Kouakou, Director Education, Science and Culture highlighted the importance of this gathering for the region’s cultural and creative industries. Dr. Kouakou noted that challenges in implementing private copying systems in member states stem from misinterpretations of some texts at the national level. He stated that through this assembly, ECOWAS seeks to build on progress made within the UEMOA region under Directive No. 07/2023/CM/UEMOA which harmonizes private copying provisions and extend these efforts across all ECOWAS Member States.
At the conclusion of the meeting, key recommendations were made to advance harmonization efforts. Stakeholders were urged to focus on capacity-building through training, advocacy, and raising awareness. Additionally, impact studies on the usage and effectiveness of private copying remuneration should be conducted alongside establishing a regional mechanism to monitor transparency and reciprocity between Member States.
Countries were also encouraged to strengthen their regulatory frameworks in consultation with WIPO and regional intellectual property bodies. It was recommended that a portion of private copying revenues be allocated to fund periodic studies on the economic contribution of copyright and creative industries to GDP and employment.
The meeting also highlighted the need for ECOWAS to address rapid technological advancements' impact on copyright works with private copying revenues supporting IT infrastructural development to mitigate these challenges.
ECOWAS was represented by Dr. Roland Kouakou acting Director Education, Science and Culture along with Dr. Raguidissida Emile Head of Culture Division.
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