[kictanet] Music Piracy in Kenya - Government can Help

[Bernard Kioko [Bernsoft Interactive Limited]]

Bwana Daktari,

 

The music industry in Kenya is unable to grow. Companies like mine and
individuals are investing money in creating music but the same cannot be
commercialized effectively. One of the main problems is organized piracy.
Take for example the website WAPKID.COM, this website provides almost every
Kenyan song FREE FOR DOWNLOAD.

 

The website at the moment lists the following as popular tags - meaning
these are the artists whose content is currently heavily being downloaded.

 

I understand that this website is offering pirated content because Music
works that is owned and copyright administered by myself is being offered
for FREE  here - the total investment I made for the songs on offer is Ksh.
5million over the last 2 years and now I have no way to recover my
investment by sales since consumers can opt for free.

 

     John De Mathew - Nimwamenyire Muno Wangari Wa Kabera - Aciari Redsun -
Shika Glasi Sam Kinuthia - Muiritu Wa Gikomba Onyi Papa Jey - Migingo Dhi
Muigai Njoroge - Muti Utari Matunda Kamaru - Nairobi Iraguo Ki Kamande Wa
Kioi - Kapusi Kakwa Salim - Kanyina Kanini Kamande Wa Kioi - Githukia Tombo 

 

It's possible that these artists and many more don't actually know that this
exists BUT millions of Kenyans are downloading the music and who is
benefiting? The Network Operators who charge money based on the data
downloads. Infact, at one point, one of the mobile operators even sent SMS
advertisements to their subscribers urging them to access content from
WapKid.com

 

As an industry, we are bleeding and desperately in need of government
support to stop this organized piracy that is benefiting local and
international organization at the expense of our content and therefore
killing and local development of content.

 

As we seek your assistance, we are also doing something on our part. We will
be meeting next week Wednesday 3rd October 3pm at Panafric as a music
industry (Record labels, Kenya Copyright Board and Music Copyright Society
of Kenya) to discuss and work out strategies that can help us especially in
creating a clear licensing framework. We will also be announcing an
Anti-Piracy Campaign called "iCareforMusic" whose aim is to educate the
consumer on the benefits of getting music from licensed partners.

 

We believe that either the government or the courts can issue an order
blocking WAPKID.COM, MP3RAID.COM and any other website offering local music
from being accessed and this is fairly easy at the ISP level. Before we take
to the court route, we wish to seek a diplomatic route first. If we can stop
this organized piracy, investing in a song would be worth it for the Artist,
the Record Label and/or the music publisher. And in overall, KRA would
collect tax from all of us. Everybody wins! Who knows, it would be even
worth having a music studio at Konza City.

 

Bwana PS, how can you assist our music industry?

 

Kind regards

 

Bernard Kioko
Chief Executive Officer,
Bernsoft

 

 

 

 

 

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