Stakeholders
in the art industry have completed a five-day mentorship programme at the
National Center for Arts and Culture (NCAC), where they discussed crucial
targets to help in strengthening Copyright system in The Gambia.
The
mentorship engagement was organized by NCAC and supported by the World
Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and The African Regional Intellectual
Property Organization (ARIPO).
Hassoum
Ceesay, NCAC director of Copyright appealed to stakeholders to actively
participate in establishing a Copyright regime in the country that would allow
creators to earn money from what they produce.
The
programme, he said, seeks to strengthen the Copyright regime in the country to
make sure that Gambian artistes start to earn money from their creation.
Rohey
Samba, Secretary General of Writers Association of The Gambia, said artistes
are the poorest because of the lack of Copyright law in the country. She
maintained that the mentorship programme which was provided to the CSG Board
would go a long way in supporting the Collecting Society of The Gambia (CSG).
Rosario
Kamanga, a senior licensing officer of Copyright Society of Malawi said
underscored the role of creative industry in the development of any nation.
“The creative industry can generate another income for the economy and we need
the support of the state when it comes to that. Most of the associations are
dormant because there is no financial support.”