Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) has established a Copyright Fund to promote and improve creative and copyright industries as well as preserve works that depict the country’s cultural identity.

Copyright Fund manager Blessings Botha said in an interview after a stakeholders’ meeting in Blantyre on Thursday that Cosoma set up the fund following the expiry of Cultural Support Scheme (CSS) it administered on behalf of Norwegian Embassy.

Botha: Fund rolling out anytime

CSS was primarily a capacity building project for rights holder associations and was phased out in 2017 after running for almost 12 years.

Cosoma is currently sensitising its stakeholders across the country on the establishment of the new fund.

He said: “After the CSS, Cosoma took advantage of the review of Copyright Act in 2016. Section 98 of the Act stipulates the establishment of Copyright Fund. So, Parliament directed that unlike the CSS which was only for rights holder associations, Copyright Fund should include other cultural practitioners.

“So, the fund was established and will be rolling out any time after its launch on September 20 and we believe this fund will promote creativity and preserve cultural identity of the country.”

Botha said the fund’s objectives, among others, are to support projects or activities that aim at developing capacity, quality and diversity of the copyright industry, enhancing public education or awareness on copyright matters and offering support for law enforcement initiatives.

Others are to assist in anti-piracy campaigns, contribute towards conserving, protecting and promoting Malawi culture within the copyright works and assist in any other areas that develop the copyright industry, according to Botha.

The fund shall be administered in accordance with the Public Audit Act and the Public Finance Management Act. It will be financed through levies on performances, sound recordings, broadcasts and typographic arrangements, importing, manufacturing or placing of devices for digital storage materials on the market (private copy), among others.

Reacting to the fund’s establishment, acting national coordinator for the Tumbuka Heritage (Tuheri) Hubert Mfune said the fund is a very huge step in the right direction for the arts and cultural groups.

He said: “Most arts associations or cultural groupings had nowhere to start from, but we have now been enlightened and we know where to go. We are also grateful because there are clear indications that government is trying to promote us.”

Mfune said their expectation is whatever was being hidden due to certain gaps will now be exposed and people will appreciate different cultural and creative works and tourism will be the biggest beneficiary.

According to Botha, the fund will grant financial support to recipients ranging from K3 million to K10 million and the first call for proposals will start soon after the fund’s launch.

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