Trade Ministry on IPR laws:

Time to benefit from your talent!

By Abubakarr Kamara

Ishmail Kaetu Yillah

What would have been thought impossible few years back is now becoming a reality as the Ministry of Trade and Industry, in collaboration with the Private Sector Development Strategy Program (PSDSP), held a  one-day workshop on Intellectual Property Rights last Thursday at the Mamba Point complex at Wilberforce, Freetown.

The theme of the workshop was ‘Reforming Sierra Leone’s Intellectual Property Rights Regime’. Several people presented papers including the Director of Trade and Industry Ministry and the Ministry’s legal counsel, Ishmail Kaetu Yillah.

The aim of the workshop, which was sponsored by the UK Department for International Development (DFID), was to establish a consultative process on the reform of Sierra Leone’s existing Intellectual Property Rights laws with a view to make them user-friendly, responsive to the country’s developmental need and in compliance with its international obligations.

Presenting the proposed IPR administrative structure as detailed in the National Policy document, Ishmael Kaetu Yillah said the results of the workshop would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for prompt action. While calling for patience from the public, Yillah explained the next steps and action plan.

“This project is part of a broad process of legislative and administrative reforms spear headed by the Ministry of Trade and Industry to further improve the capacity of the private sector in Sierra Leone, by developing an environment that is conducive to business,” he added.

However, one of the stakeholders, who is a key player in the music industry, president of the Cassette Sellers Association (CSA) - Abubakarr Kamara, said the workshop was a stepping stone towards their long time cry against piracy. He said if IPR laws are enacted and defaulters severely dealt with, then the music (entertainment) industry in the country would be industrious.

“This is one of the industries that employs majority of the youth population. Therefore if government can help us against piracy, I’m sure in the not too distant future, Sierra Leone’s entertainment industry will grow like that of Nigeria and other enviable ones in Africa,” said the CSA president.

Piracy has been labeled the biggest enemy of the emerging music industry in Sierra Leone.

When KES contacted a famous local female artist, M2, she said she is very happy that IPR is now being taken seriously by the authorities.

She said piracy has exploited not only the music industry in Sierra Leone but has also destroyed the individual copyright owners who spent millions of Leones to produce an album only to receive pittance in the end.

“I think it is a step in the right direction. We’ll support it in our own way and pray that God protect those fighting for its enactment,” said M2.

Meanwhile, the results of the workshop are reported to have been forwarded to Cabinet.