By ADRIAN MWANZA –
ZAMBIA Music Copyright Protection (ZAMCOPS) has taken legal action against Airtel and Mobi TV for playing music without the musicians’ consent.
ZAMCOPS chairperson Edify Hamukale said it was wrong to play music without consulting the owners of copywright.
He called on the Government to put up stringent measures to combat the proliferation of piracy in the country.
“We have taken legal action against firms like Airtel which were using artistes’ songs without their permission,” he said.
He urged artistes to work closely with organisations like ZAMCOPS for them to recoup funds from airplay.
Mr Hamukale said music in other countries was a very lucrative industry which contributed to the national economy.
“Music can contribute to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and the economy at large,” he said.
And Zambian musician Chris Akalinenga said the Government needed to spearhead the fight against piracy because it was robbing musicians and the country of huge sums of money.
Mr Akalinenga was happy with ZAMCOPS’s efforts but called on more capacity building to ensure more transparency and organisation.
