[kictanet] Music Piracy in Kenya - Government can Help

[bitange at jambo.co.ke]

Bernard Kioko
Please sue these people.  We shall support you.


Ndemo.




> 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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