Zimura to educate musicians on copyright

THE Zimbabwe Music Rights Association (Zimura) has invited all musicians, whether they are members or not, to join its nationwide workshops on copyright awareness.

The workshops aim to inform and empower musicians on their intellectual property rights and how to protect them from infringement. The workshops also seek to promote ethical and legal practices in the music industry.

The workshops were initiated last year and have gained popularity this year, as several cases of copyright violation have made headlines. Some of the affected musicians include Jah Signal, the Charamba family, Winky D and Kenako Music stable.

Zimura has scheduled the workshops in different provinces throughout the year, starting with Mutare in Manicaland on 12 March and ending with Gwanda in Matabeleland South on 20 November.

Polisile Ncube-Chimhini, the executive director of Zimura, told Chronicle that the workshops are a valuable service to the musicians and other stakeholders.

“This is a service we give to artistes and stakeholders. From last year we did workshops around the country throughout the year, so this year we are doing the same. Artistes need to take time to know copyright to avoid infringing other artistes’ copyright. They need to attend workshops, read widely on intellectual property laws, visit Zimura social media handles or visit the office for more information on intellectual property,” said Ncube-Chimhini.

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