Copyright Amendment Bill puts the publishing sector, and jobs, at risk
Besides the potentially devastating impact on the publishing sector, a lack of sufficient copyright protection should alarm everyone
When President Cyril Ramaphosa presented his state of the nation address, he committed to mobilising investments of R1.2-trillion over the next five years, announcing bold targets to improve SA’s performance in the World Bank’s annual ease of doing business index from 82 to within the top 50 places in the next three years. But there is an elephant in the room. It’s highly unlikely that the president will be able to deliver on his commitment if he does not align his cabinet colleagues behind steps to support policy coherence, a far more investment friendly environment and significant steps to minimise any unintended consequences of the new legislation. The Copyright Amendment Bill is a case in point. The bill has passed through the national assembly and there is pressure to conclude the parliamentary process in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) before the end of the current term. While we can appreciate the need to conclude as much as possible in the coming weeks, this can nev...
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