Intellectual Property Rights Workshop for Visual Artists Launched.

Zimbabwe Wed 20-07-2011

Intellectual Property Rights Workshop for Visual Artists Launched.
By Stephen Garan'anga

The Culture Fund of Zimbabwe Trust (CFoZT) in collaboration with African Regional Intellectual Property Rights Office (ARIPO) conducted a critical Intellectual Property Rights workshop for the Harare metropolitan Visual Arts sector at ARIPO in Harare on the 8th of July 2011.

Participants at Culture-Fund, ARIPO visual arts workshop

Participants at Culture Fund/ARIPO Visual Arts Intellectual Property Rights Workshop, Harare 2011

The CFoZT recognises various difficulties the country's visual arts practitioners experience concerning the legal protection of their intangible property that is the result of their creativity e.g. patents or copyright. The Culture Fund, as they are widely known, will be implementing a series of nationwide workshops focusing on Intellectual Property Rights in collaboration with the ARIPO.

The CFoZT is a non-partisan civil society organization established and registered as a Trust for the provision of financial and technical support to the arts and culture sector. Their aim is to establish a dynamic, diversified and sustainable culture sector imbued with Zimbabwean values and identity, which contributes towards wealth creation.

Currently there is a huge information gap amongst majority of the country's visual artists, especially fine art practitioners on Zimbabwe's copyright laws that can legally protect them from abuse of their work and exploitation.

A Copyright is a form of intellectual property that grants its holder the sole legal right to copy their works of original expression, such as a literary work, movie, musical work or sound recording, sculpture, painting, computer program, or industrial design, for a defined period of time.

Presently Zimbabwe's fine art practitioners are miles behind their counterparts in music, film, theatre, and literature in terms of having strong representative bodies that can effectively lobby for appropriate policies on the various grey areas in the current legislation on copyright.

Participants who were representatives of various visual art organizations sighted ignorance on part of their members on issues pertaining to the statutory instruments available to them and other procedures.

There were six presentations by well informed experts on various topics at the Intellectual Property Rights Capacity Building Workshop who included Keitseng Monyatsi from Botswana and a copyright officer of ARIPO. She lengthily talked about the basic notions on copyright and related rights.

Doctor Serman Chavula, a regional expert from Malawi narrated about international aspects on the protection of intellectual property rights and the laws of Malawi that deal with copyright.

He greatly encouraged the creative practitioners to work together for their empowerment and protection by law which will in turn nurture their creativity. He also appealed to public offices to assist artists on various matters concerning legal procedures and registrations.

Amongst other experts were representatives from the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs – Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office (ZIPO) who touched lengthily on the Zimbabwe copyright legislation. They highlighted numerous sections of the law that do not well protect the works of visual artists and having other visual arts sections falling under various ministries.

The deputy director and curator of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Raphael Chikukwa, spoke about understanding intellectual property rights in visual arts sector and perspectives of the National Gallery of Zimbabwe. He also highlighted numerous issues affecting artists and the assistance being availed by the national institution.

David Ngwerume, a visual artist as well as a lawyer, brought to the fore the management of the intellectual property rights from an artist perspective. On the other hand Stephen Garan'anga, an international fine art practitioner and chairperson of AfricanColours Artists Association as well as a critical visual arts writer, touched on copyrights and internet Marketing.

D-Ngwerume-at-Culture-Fund,-ARIPO-visual-arts-workshop

David Ngwerume at Culture Fund, ARIPO visual arts workshop

The workshop concluded with strong emphasis for artists to work together and form effective registered national associations that will come up with proposals that can redress the current anomalies and speak with one voice when it comes to lobbying for formulation of sustainable policies.

A visual arts committee that will meet regularly after consultations with their members, various public offices and other important stakeholders was formed. It is chaired by David Ngwerume assisted by other five ladies and gentlemen.

Posted By: Allan Kapten

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