Creatives have accused the Copyright Society of Malawi (Cosoma) of allegedly failing to take their concerns over the distribution of Blank Media Levy royalties seriously after a planned meeting did not take place on Wednesday.
The creatives, comprising producers and record label representatives, accompanied by their legal team comprising lawyers Henry Mvula and Ntchindi Chiyamwaka, visited Cosoma offices in Lilongwe expecting to meet the institution’s executive director Dora Makwinja.
However, when they arrived in Lliongwe, they were informed that Makwinja was in Blantyre.
The group expressed disappointment with the lack of communication regarding Makwinja’s availability.
Speaking on behalf of the group, Akometsi managing director Kelvin Sulugwe said they were trying to engage Cosoma on the matter, but the institution does not seem to treat the issues with the seriousness they deserve.
He said they believe this is also reflected in some of the society’s Facebook posts on the Copyright Society of Malawi official page adding that many rights holders have raised concerns about how the royalties were distributed.
Sulugwe said: “We are talking about K1.8 billion, which is a significant increase from the previous distribution. Despite that, there have been many complaints. As industry leaders, we felt this could not continue, which is why we requested a roundtable discussion.
“We are not here to ask Cosoma to defend itself. We simply want them to help us understand the processes. Unfortunately, they do not seem willing to give us that opportunity. It feels as though they want us to become frustrated and tired.”
He said when Cosoma introduced the Blank Media Levy as creatives they understood it was a process that would improve over time. However, those improvements can only happen through meaningful engagement with stakeholders and that has been lacking.
In a separate interview, Madness Entertainment chief executive officer Kelvin Ngumuya said the main concern is the lack of transparency and accountability in the way Cosoma distributes royalties.
He said he represents the younger generation of artists and work with several artists under the label, yet every year they are disappointed.
Ngumuya said it was frustrating to see this happening, adding that it was crucial that Cosoma handles its systems in way that is encouraging and gives hope to the young generation to pursue their craft.
“Young artists should feel that if they work hard, they will earn more. Right now, it seems that no matter how hard you work, if you are an upcoming artist, you are unlikely to gain much from your work,” he said.
In a phone interview, Makwinja confirmed that she travelled to Blantyre to attend to other official duties. She said the creatives were advised to confirm their meeting before travelling to the offices.
Blank Media Levy royalties were introduced by the government to help compansate artists for content which is carried and transferred through gadgets such as memory sticks and other storage devices.
