BIPA Blazing the trail for copyright protection

Earlier this month, Namibia became the first ARIPO member state to ratify the Kampala Protocol on the voluntary registration of Copyright and Related Rights. The Business and Intellectual Property Authority (BIPA) recently announced that Namibia has become the first of the 22 member states to ratify the Kampala Protocol, speaking to the commitment of the country to advance the protection of intellectual property and to stimulate innovation as well as business and economic development.

The Kampala Protocol aims to provide a system for the voluntary registration and notification of copyright and related rights within the ARIPO member states. Vivienne Katjiongua, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar at BIPA advised that “Namibia’s ratification of the Kampala Protocol is a significant step forward in our efforts to promote economic growth through intellectual property”. The Protocol will provide authors and copyright holders with a means of assurance to authorship/ ownership of rights and will ultimately contribute to the development and protection of creative industries and realise economic potential and development.

In order to facilitate the ratification of the Kampala Protocol, BIPA has been focused on updating the current copyright legislation. The previous Act is outdated, and does not provide the necessary protection for works resulting from the ever-evolving technological landscape. There has been a need for an update to ensure that it addresses contemporary challenges. Since 2019, BIPA and the Ministry of Industrialization and Trade (MIT) have been involved in a legislative overhaul, to ensure that the current Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection Act, 1994 is updated to align with international standards and requirements. The revised legislation has been assessed by the Attorney-General and has subsequently been submitted to Cabinet. Through these continued efforts, BIPA is blazing the trail for Namibia to become one of Africa’s most vibrant and innovative countries.