As preparations geared towards domesticating and implementing the Copy Rights law of the Gambia gain momentum, the first ever Copy Rights Commission of the Gambia was last week inaugurated in the conference hall of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture in Banjul.

Kaliba Senghore, Permanent Secretary deputized over the ceremony for Madam Nancy Njie Minister of Tourism and Culture. The Commission is tasked among other things to advise the Copy Rights office on issues relating to registration and licensing of literary, artistic, musical, sound, audiovisual works among others. The Commission is expected to render assistance to the Copy Rights office in public sensitization through radio, TV or other mass media programs.

The term Copy Right refers to both economic and moral rights that a creator or creators have over their works. In essence it means a property right and it has series of characteristics and fixed duration. For example, the Gambia Copy Rights law duration last for the entire life of the creator plus fifty years after that; however the durations varied from country to country. The 2004 Copy Rights Act of the Gambia accords the owner an exclusive right over his or her work, which means that for the work to be reproduced, translated, adapted or communicated to the public, rentws, distributed, displayed or imported the creator must have some form of economic benefit.

The reason behind introduction of copy rights law way back in 19th century, was to prevent the trend of somewhat unjust and illegal enrichment by others from the work of others. The law clearly comes to reward creators of work with fairness and just rule. The said 2004 Copy Rights Act replaces the British colonial Copy Rights laws of the 1915 which covered only printed materials.

The National Centre for Arts and Culture as the institution responsible for administering all arts and culture related affairs in the country, is mandated to maintain a register of works, productions and associations of authors as well as to publicize the rights of owners and provide evidence of ownership to that end.

The Permanent Secretary, Kaliba Senghore described inauguration of the Copy Rights Commission as timely considering efforts towards domestication and implementation of the copy rights law of the Gambia. He urged them to work as expected of them, with specific reference on the need to keep the spirit of collective work towards achieving the objectives of the commission.

Hassum  Ceesay, director of the Copy Rights bureau, seized the opportunity and gave a detailed historical overview of the copy rights law of the Gambia and the old British copy rights law of The Gambia dating back to 1915.