Copyright Society of Malawi in awareness workshops

Genre : Cultural projects
Principal country concerned : Column : Arts and crafts
Release/publication date : 2015
Published on : 30/04/2015
Source : http://www.nyasatimes.com/2015/04/29/copyright-society-of-malawi-in-awareness-workshops/ 29 April 2015

Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) is engaging creators and the media in a series of workshops – across the country – aimed at enhancing awareness of copyright and related rights.


COSOMA executive director Dora Makwinja said in Mzuzu Wednesday that the aim of the workshop was to help creators and other related stakeholders in making sure that their rights are not infringed because of ignorance.



"We are taking the message of copyright to beneficiaries because it is important," said Makwinja.



Being conducted with funding from the Korean government – for the last one and half months – the workshops have so far been held in the cities of Blantyre, Lilongwe and Mzuzu.



Arts associations and media groupings including Malawi Writers Union (Mawu), Musicians Union Malawi (MUM) and Journalists Union of Malawi are participating in the trainings.



The Copyright Society of Malawi is an all-embracing society with over 4, 000 individual rights holders of musical works as members.



It also has the following rights holder associations as members; Musicians Association of Malawi (MAM), Book Publishers Association of Malawi (BPAM), Visual Arts Association of Malawi (VAAM), Journalists Union of Malawi (JUMA), Malawi Writers Union (MAWU), National Theatre Association of Malawi (NTAM), Photographers Association of Malawi (PHOTAMA), Film Association of Malawi (FAMA), Poetry Association of Malawi (PAMA) and Malawi Folk Dance Music and Song Society  (MFODMAS).



Through its work, COSOMA enables rights holders to receive royalties for use of their works; provides social welfare services to its members; and contribute to cultural development in the country through the protection of the rights of creative people.

Partners

  • Arterial network
  • Media, Sports and Entertainment Group (MSE)
  • Gens de la Caraïbe
  • Groupe 30 Afrique
  • Alliance Française VANUATU
  • PACIFIC ARTS ALLIANCE
  • FURTHER ARTS
  • Zimbabwe : Culture Fund Of Zimbabwe Trust
  • RDC : Groupe TACCEMS
  • Rwanda : Positive Production
  • Togo : Kadam Kadam
  • Niger : ONG Culture Art Humanité
  • Collectif 2004 Images
  • Africultures Burkina-Faso
  • Bénincultures / Editions Plurielles
  • Africiné
  • Afrilivres

With the support of