Visionary Reports

A renewed agreement between the collective copyright management organizations known by its French acronym as OGC and GECAM has been signed. The agreement that was signed on Tuesday April 21 is expected to strengthen the way copyright rights are collected, while also improving understanding among businesses and other users. The agreement places particular emphasis on the role of GECAM, who will work more effectively to guide member companies through the process of managing and paying authors’ rights.According to the president of the control committee of OGC, Prof Edimo Francois, defending authors’ interests remains at the core of the organizations’ mission.

Alongside collection activities, there is also a duty to inform and raise awareness about the issues that may affect the business interests of members. He said the renewal of the convention aims to make the system more effective and better encapsulated, building on the previous agreement.According to the executive director of GECAM Aline Valérie Mbono, support will include management and organizational assistance related to collecting the rights owed by member companies within the GECAM To ensure the agreement is properly implemented, she highlighted the need for training and intermediation, especially in cases of difficulty, so that stakeholders can fully understand their responsibilities and obligations.Aline Valérie Mbono, also mentioned that the objective of the renewed agreement is to improve conditions for artists by ensuring that the rights connected to their work are properly recognized and collected. She acknowledged that some users already pay voluntarily and regularly each year, while others do not, largely due to a lack of understanding of the payment requirements.As a result, GECAM and partner organizations will work to ensure users understand the rationale behind payment, and how this contributes to restoring value to artists and protecting their economic interests.The agreement is described as a bridge between copyright management societies and users. It is intended to answer key questions such as: why payment is required, which activities fall under copyright management, and what the relevant texts say.The convention outlines that each collective management organization will work directly with its users. For those who are members but do not fully understand the requirement to pay, they will be directed to seek guidance through the organizations’ processes.

By Gina ESONG