The two-day national workshop organised by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in collaboration with National Council for Arts and Culture on copyright development and the economic contribution and performance of the copyright-based industries yesterday ended at Dunes Resort in Kotu.

The director general of NCAC, Baba Ceesay expressed gratitude to the stakeholders and representatives of WIPO to the national workshop. He said the workshop was in line with the NCAC’s drive to secure a function copyright regime on behalf of the stakeholders, the artists and creators of all works that deserve copyright protection.

Ceesay reiterated that the workshop was a prelude to an important study that geared towards scientifically substantiating the contribution of copyright-based industries to the Gambian economy. He stated that his centre will be in a better position to justify or advocate for investment in the sector, either from The Gambia government, international partners or the private sector. The NCAC boss further thanked the WIPO representatives from Geneva for their support right and their willingness to continue especially in factoring Gambia in their upcoming programmes and work plans.

For his part, Christopher M Kalanje, a representative ofWIPO thanked the government of the Gambia for hosting the workshop. He said World Intellectual Property Organisation is a United Nations specialised agency dedicated to developing a balanced and accessible international intellectual (IP) system, which rewards creativity, stimulates innovation and contributes to economic development while safeguarding the public interest.  He explained further that WIPO was established in 1967, by the WIPO Convention; currently they are having 184 members.

According to Kalanje, Copyright as a branch of intellectual property, the other branch is industrial property, plays an important role in encouraging a dynamic creative culture, facilitating the return of value to creators so as to enable creators to lead a dignified economic existence and providing widespread, affordable access to content for the public. He said to achieve the aims of the workshop, it is important for stakeholders of copyright to understand the working of copyright and of the copyright-based industries.

It was aimed among other things that the workshop will lead to enhancement of copyright awareness of stakeholders thus support ongoing efforts, by relevant institutions in The Gambia as to develop and improve the capacity of creators, policy makers and national IP institutions in harness to the opportunities that will arises through effective use of the copyright system.