Have your say on Copyright Amendment Bill

© Jakub Jirsak – 123RF.com

Among the contents of the bill is the definition of certain words and expressions, the provision of the protection of copyright in artistic work and to provide for access to copyright works by persons with disabilities.

The bill was originally tabled in Parliament in May 2017.

On Friday, Committee Chairperson Joan Fubbs said an additional seven clauses to the bill have been made.

These include:

• Amending the existing definition of ‘collecting society’ (clause 1);
  
• Adding the rights of distribution and rental (clause 4, section 6) in order for the Copyright Act to provide for rights of distribution and authorising rental;
  
• Requiring recording of acts in respect of audio-visual works and providing for an offence in this regard (clause 9, Section 8A) to provide for an obligation to record and report certain acts, and to provide for an offence should a person fail to do so; and
  
• Empowering collecting societies further (clause 25, Section 22C), by allowing the right to request information and to clarify what collecting societies may negotiate on behalf of members.

Fubbs called on interested individuals and groups to comment on the additional clauses in the Bill and forward written submissions to the committee no later than Friday, 26 October 2018.

The committee will consider these comments during its deliberations on the Bill.

Written submissions should be forwarded to Mr André Hermans and Mr Tenda Madima, Committee Secretaries, via email at az.vog.tnemailrap@snamreha or az.vog.tnemailrap@amidamt, respectively.

The notice from the committee on the specific clauses mentioned above can be viewed at https://tinyurl.com/y94cla3x.