Zari pulls out from anti-piracy body

Organisation of Zimbabwe citing what it deems as unethical conduct by Apoz in dealing with piracy.
In a letter dated May 24, 2011, which was signed by Emion Sibindi, the president of Zari, and his vice, Emmanuel Vhori, Zari expressed their disappointment at Apoz whom they accused of fuelling piracy rather than eradicating it.
“We are deeply disappointed that Apoz is actually encouraging piracy. Following the receipt of correspondence from the executive director of Apoz, to Commissioner- General (ZRP, Augustine Chihuri) we as Zari members hereby withdraw our mandate to and association with Apoz with immediate effect.
“Apoz is no longer mandated to protect our music and visual copyrights both local and international. Zari and its artistes will with the assistance of the police continue to enforce anti-piracy activities countrywide,” wrote the two in a letter copied to various ministries and organisations.
These include the Ministry of Justice and Legal Affairs, the Zimbabwe Intellectual Property Office, the National Arts Council of Zimbabwe, the Zimbabwe Republic Police, the Culture Fund, International Police Organisation, the Zimbabwe Union of Musicians and the patron of the Zimbabwe Union of Musicians, Cde Webster Shamu.
In another letter dated May 23, 2011, various artistes led by dub poet Albert Nyathi, National Arts Council of Zimbabwe director Elvas Mari, Polisile Ncube of the Zimbabwe Music Rights Association and Sibindi, also wrote to Apoz citing the same reasons for withdrawing from the organisation.
“We find ourselves unable to continue sitting on the board of an organisation which promotes illegal activities.
“For this reason we hereby resign severally and jointly from Apoz with immediate effect for we cannot associate ourselves and names with the organisation and with what it now represents. Kindly proceed to remove our names from both your letterhead and company and register of directors,” they wrote collectively in the letter which was signed by Mari, Nyathi, Sibindi, Witness Zhangazha and Ncube.
However, Innocent Matsengarwodzi, the executive director of Apoz, countered in his own letter dated May 24, 2011 in which he accuses Zari of failing to fulfil “its signed obligation to financially and materially support the organisation to weed out piracy in Zimbabwe.”
Matsengarwodzi further argued that the organisation (Zari) was “trying to protect their business interests instead of us protecting the beloved Intellectual Property Rights holders which caused our organisation to be formed.” Matsengarwodzi also dismissed the accusations that his organisation was promoting piracy, saying:
“Our organisation is not for the music industry alone and was incorporated and mandated to fight infringements of intellectual property in any form (piracy and counterfeit) and have seen that our continued partnership with the association who is trying to stall our development and causes us not to fulfil our objectives.”
Matsengarwodzi went on to call for an amicable resolution of the differences between the two organisations.
“These disputes . . . shall be settled amicably between us in the widest spirit of reconciliation and in the best interests of the interested party as it is our entire discretion to associate with other associations, unions, organisations, companies who hold intellectual property rights and individual right holders and to disassociate with them when circumstances forces us (sic),” Matsengarwodzi said.