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BIPA, stakeholders to review the copyright legal framework

BIPA, stakeholders to review the copyright legal framework

The Business and Intellectual Property Authority of Namibia (BIPA), will be facilitate a review of the current copyright legal framework from 18 to 20 September, at NamPower Convention Centre.

The Authority said the review is aimed at developing a new legislation which will serve the national development agenda and the industry, which is aligned to international best practices.

“The legal frameworks and guidelines that govern the protection of intellectual property rights in Namibia, are often underdeveloped, under utilised or outdated and such instrument, is the current Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Protection Act, 1994 (Act No. 6 of 1994),” they explained.

The Authourity highlighted that copyright protection and promotion is an important legal framework in the creative industry.

“As expected, 25 years later, the landscape of the creative industry has evolved and advanced significantly, propelled by the digital era, introducing opportunities and challenges which were not anticipated in the current Copyright Act,” BIPA added.

Currently BIPA is tasked with registering, granting and protecting intellectual property rights (IPRs) and to promote the value of Intellectual Property in Namibia.

Furthermore, the authority is also tasked with advising government on the development of intellectual property legal frameworks.


 

About The Author

Mandisa Rasmeni

Mandisa Rasmeni has worked as reporter at the Economist for the past five years, first on the entertainment beat but now focussing more on community, social and health reporting. She is a born writer and she believes education is the greatest equalizer. She received her degree in Journalism at the Namibia University of Science and Technology (NUST) in June 2021. . She is the epitome of perseverance, having started as the newspaper's receptionist in 2013.