Socacim granted approval to manage music copyright

The Minister of Arts and Culture, Ama Tutu Muna has decided to endorse the establishment of a new copyright management company for the musical art.

In a statement signed on May 18, Ama Tutu Muna informed the ‘rights holders and users of musical art’ that the agreement concerning the ‘collective management of Copyright and Related Rights of Copyright’ category B Musical art, has been granted to the Cameroonian civil society of music on May 15, 2015.

The proposed creation of Socacim had earlier been drafted to Mbengwi in the Northwest on April 28, 2015, handover ceremony of Syndicat camerounais des musiciens (Sycamu), an initiative chaired by Romeo Dicka and the presence of the Minister of Culture.

Some newspapers reported that Ama Tutu Muna, had subsequently been asked to pull their socks up by the Prime Minister.

The latter alleging that it had endorsed the creation of a new civil society for the rights of musicians despite the establishment of an ad hoc committee, and especially a fax message from the services of the secretary general of the PM on April 27, asking to postpone any initiative of that nature.

The Committee required to make proposals for "general settlement of disputes that persisted in the management of copyright and related rights in the musical art field" was set up on May 7 by the Prime Minister.

He had to decide within 15 days to present proposals for the crisis that has severely been tarnished the legitimacy of the CMC, Version Sam Mbende since 2008 and that of Socam which was weakened by frequent ingestion of Minac and the Commission Permanente de Médiation et de Contrôle (CPMC).

The creation of a new civil society of musical art, would not bring immediate serenity that is expected in the sector after the cold war between Minac and the Prime Minister.

Click on the 'Photos' to see the release of Minac reports of granting authorization to Socacim.