–To Protect Artists, Others
By R. Joyclyn Wea
The Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) is expected to launch the first ever website and newsletter of the institution to ensure the protection of work done by musicians, artists, as well as trademark registration from copyrights.
The website and newsletter which will be launched on December 14, 2018 at the Liberia Chamber of Commerce (LCC) is a one-step forward in dealing with online registration of artists’ work and will have available data-base of unprotected work and that of the Liberia 2016 Intellectual Property law among other things.
The coming forth of the website and newsletter is to further ensure that the society is aware of the importance of IPO thus acquainting citizens with the formulated laws and other things regarding IP and Copyrights.
The Liberia intellectual property compromises of copyrights.
This when launched, would take the LIPO to online registration of various works by artists, movie, or trademark registration.
Speaking on the upcoming ceremony, LIPO Director General, Atty. P. Adelyn Cooper said the institution being the power house of innovation and creativity decided to come up with such initiative to help protect artists’ work from copyrights and to also generate more revenues for government.
“We find out that the more revenues you generate as a ministry or agency for government is the more you get in the budget and then you get to do whole lots of other things and we want to see the institution grows from this stage,” she added.
Atty. Cooper said they want to ensure royalty are collected for benefit of artists and to protect the rights of artists adding “We want to make Liberia an intellectual property society and this is a first start to getting where we want to get as an institution.
She further stressed the need for the media to help spread the information of the institution and give LIPO to change the face of artist “We cannot stop the media from playing artist music because that is one way of creating awareness for the artist, but it should be through negotiation.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.
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