On this Monday Rwanda Development Board has officially opened the workshop on copyright and collective management at Lemigo Hotel, in a bid to create awareness on Copyright law compliance and warning the users of copyrighted works to avoid the punishments caused by copyright infringement, as they are provided by the law No 31/2009 of 26/10/2009 on protection of intellectual property rights.

The workshop was officially opened by Blaise Ruhima, The division manager of intellectual property department. He thanked the partakers for their attendance to the workshop. Division Manager of intellectual property has said that using copyrighted works without authorization is copyright infringement and infringers deserve punishing.   He went on telling attendees that the copyright law and collective management organizations have been there since long time across the world as some users in Rwanda have thought that CMO is innovation not usual. For why Blaise Ruhima advised the users of Copyrighted works to pay royalties and having credibility to Rwandan Society of Authors because it has been supervised by Rwanda Development Board

 Hospitality  companies representatives in the workshop

Blaise Ruhima explained explicitly that the creator has both moral and economic rights on his works. The Ecomic rights can be transferred but moral right will still belong to the creator of the work.As for the works of deceased artist The Division manager of Intellectual property said that the moral and ecomic rights remain to the successor during 50 years after the death for this reason he gave an example on deceased Emmanuel Sebanani who passed away in 1994, he said that no body is allowed to use his works without getting authorization from his family members.  Blaise Ruhima got his claws into hospitality companies   who do not attend awareness campaigns nonetheless they have said that they do not understand collective management system, hence, the next step is the enforcement of law.

Nadine Bwiza the Chief Executive Officer of Rwandan Society of Authors introduced the partakers the society and she has told them more explanations about the society and its mandate. She went on explaining two types of users. She has brought to light that there are primary user and secondary users. According to the law primary user is the one who uses works personally without public consumption. And the secondary users are the one who uses the music for commercial purpose and play or uses it in the public. So the secondary user has to pay the royalties as he has gained benefit from the work.

The workshop will continue tomorrow with media houses and telecommunication campanies and on Wednesday the workshop will continue with enforcement bodies.