This follows Ruto’s directive for the
government to collect music royalties through the eCitizen platform as he moves
to streamline all its revenue collection through a single platform.
In a statement on his X page, Mutua claimed
that such a directive issued by Ruto, through Public Service Cabinet Secretary
Moses Kuria, can be presumed as the highest level of ignorance and may lead to
legal disputes.
"When a Cabinet Secretary says that the
Government will collect royalties for artists through e-Citizen, it's the
highest level of ignorance. Music is a talent like football or athletics"
Mutua lamented.
The CEO added that since both footballers and
athletes are not paid through the same platform, the government has no right to
collect the creative's revenues through the same.
"Music is a private right and the
government can only get the taxes accruing from payment of royalties, but it
cannot purport to administer copyright on behalf of musicians" Mutua
recalled.
In his claims, he stated that MCSK already has
a technology for the distribution of the revenues that is soon to be
implemented as the current staff are under training.
"We have received a distribution system
from WIPO free of charge and they are already training our staff on how to use
it," he clarified.
According to Mutua, Kenya is a signatory to
the Bern Convention as well as the World Intellectual Property Organization
(WIPO) which dictates against interference by the State on the
administration of copyright as private property.
He thus urged the government to support
Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) with enforcement and enact proper
policies to protect Intellectual property.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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