Copyright Seminar dubbed a Success

(ZIZ News) — Although St. Kitts and Nevis has wrapped up a two day seminar on Intellectual Property Rights, officials say there is still much work to be done.

Intellectual Property Consultant, Tene Reece, told ZIZ News that a seminar held earlier this week was successful and touched on specific areas which need to be reinforced.

“Where in essence there is a public performance of a work, in essence a performance of a musical work, a license is required. So in relation to your bars, your restaurants, your TV stations, your radio stations, they’re all required to have licenses from the Collective Management Organizations which is ECCO,” she noted.

Reece encouraged media organizations to register with collective management organizations so that royalties can be collected and paid to artists.

She noted however, that not all intellectual property will be subject to royalty payments.

“There’s also an exception under the copyright act in essence, where you don’t need to have the permission of the copyright holder, for example, where you’re reporting a news clip. But where, in essence, you’re actually playing music and you have music in the background…remember audio advertisements contain music. The radio stations themselves they play music of different artists. That is where, in essence, the license is required from the Collective Management Organization,” she explained.

Reece said following the workshop, work will need to continue, particularly in the area of public awareness.

The two-day event primarily targeted artists under the theme “Learn How to Protect Your Creative Works.” These works include stories, plays, songs, ideas and concepts.

The seminar also addressed organisations that work with persons in the St. Kitts and Nevis Creative and Cultural Industry.