Copyright Amendment Bill is vital for SA to be part of 21st century
Copyright is a form of intellectual property that protects expressions of ideas and benefits those who provide a diversity of cultural resources that are valuable in society
Just a couple of months away from national elections that signal a new chapter in the rebirth of SA, the department of trade and industry (DTI) is trying to run the Copyright Amendment Bill through parliament in the name of protecting authors, composers, musicians and artists. The problem is that the bill will achieve the opposite. It will sell the creative sector down the river and, if anything, benefit big tech companies that want to have a free ride on creative content. The bill will also cause SA to breach its international obligations, so the process as well as the outcome of adopting the bill do and will cause unnecessary diplomatic stress. You may say: “Why should I care, we have so many other problems?” Or: “What is copyright anyway?” Or: “SA first, who cares about international copyright laws?” Let me try and answer each of these valid questions. Why should you care about the bill? You should care if you care for your children’s job opportunities and for SA’s future. Rapid ...
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