31 May 2022

Copyright Society of Botswana (COSBOTS) has approved and distributed P8.8m to members as royalties for the 2019/20 and 2020/21 financial years.

Since the society’s inception the distribution of royalties has been steadily increasing on yearly basis, having distributed about P500 000 in 2014. 

Last year the society distributed P1.5m for 2019/2020 and P7.3 m for year 2020/21.

Speaking during the society’s virtual Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Gaborone recently COSBOTS Board of Directors Chairperson Bakalanga Mahoko, said the organisation aimed to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on COSBOTS members’ livelihoods.

Mahoko said the society  strived to be a leading example of how rights should be managed, as enshrined in their new strategy. 

“We do this by optimising our business, by being transparent, and by collaborating with partners whose mandate and interests are aligned with ours, to be the best in  what we do. But we also do it by ensuring creativity grows as it does not thrive in conditions of uniformity and monoculture,” she said.

She said they invested in upholding the diversity of the creative industry as a multi-purpose of a collective management organisation noting that, the board had taken steps towards advocating for review of existing systems of levies compensation to include rights holders.

Makalanga further explained that in the months before end of June 2021, they worked with the artistes’ associations to ensure they were fully engaged in the work of COSBOTS.

She said they would continue to work closely with all associations during the coming year, by way of workshops and sharing of information.

“A full or partial implementation of the Levy on Technical Devices Fund (LTDF) and the Public Lending Right will be a needed lifeline for authors and artists particularly after the pandemic.”

The organisation adopted the revised constitution as a resolution, which saw 97 per cent of the members agreeing that it be revised.

Bakalanga said members also agreed to the appointment of the company’s auditors, including the acceptance of the report which looked into the financial status of the company for the year 2021.

“We are in total disagreement with some conditions attached to the licensing of COSBOTS as such we wanted them to review the license such as when a member complains, that can be taken as a condition. Companies and Intellectual Property Authority (CIPA) should apply regulatory conditions as provided in the for copy right act.”

Earlier on COSBOTS Chief Executive Officer Letlhogonolo Makwinja said the pandemic resulted in a loss of revenues, explaining that if they compare COSBOTS revenues in 2020 and 2021, they missed out on a total of P3 million over the course of the year due to the effects of the pandemic.

“At COSBOTS, we want to be among the best collective rights management society in five  to ten years from now. We have an excellent starting point because our management practices are best in class in relation to international rules and recommendations, and we are, on that basis, a benchmark for other collective rights management societies.” he explained.  Ends