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Vongai Mbara Arts Correspondent
In a bid to shed light on issues surrounding copyright, the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association will today hold a workshop at the African Regional Intellectual Property Organisation premises in Belgravia, Harare.

Various stakeholders have been invited to the workshop to team up in raising awareness on copyright matters.

The workshop, which begins this morning, will coincide with the African Copyright and Collective Management Day that is celebrated today in many countries on the continent.

To ensure a smooth event, Zimura has partnered with award-winning promotions company Devine Assignments.

Objectives of the workshop include raising awareness on the importance of copyright, widening knowledge of copyright in Zimbabwe, educating composers on their rights and creating awareness on the part of stakeholders on issues related to copyright.

The workshop will also create dialogue between owners of copyright and the relevant consumers of the product.

It targets creators, stakeholders in the arts sector, music users and the law enforcement agents.

Zimura deputy director Henry Makombe said they chose to mark the African Copyright Day through holding the workshop to ensure that composers and consumers get more information.

“It is our first time to commemorate the African Copyright and Collective Management Day and we decided to start by imparting important information about copyright to stakeholders. Other countries are holding different events to mark the important day,” said Makombe.

“This is our starting point. We will have a different programme next year, but the bottom line of events held on the day is to explore the issue of copyright.”

The African Copyright and Collective Management Day was established in November 2017 by the Confederation of International Societies of Authors and Composers in the African region.

The CISAC African Committee held two workshops coordinated by the CISAC regional director for Africa Simmon Sangwa.

The objective was to identify the priorities of a strategic plan aimed at supporting the development of collective management of authors and composers rights across the continent.

At the end of these workshops the African committee identified the need to dedicate September 14 every year to celebrate copyright and collective management as part of awareness raising and communication efforts across the African continent.