Liberia Announces War against Intellectual Property Theft

As GOL commits itself to eradicate pirated goods for the Liberian entertainment market

The government of Liberia through the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO) and its secretariat, the Copyright Society of Liberia (COSOL) has announced has begun inspecting businesses trading in audio and audio-visual contents to remove pirated “copyright materials” from the stream of Liberia commerce.

According to the government, piracy is costing the country approximately US$2 million dollars each year — an amount that would lead to massive economic growth in the struggling entertainment industry.

The release added, as a result of such losses, the government in partnership with the National Collective Societies is now applying all efforts to crack down on illegal content distributions.

“Pirate copies of artistic workers threaten artists and authors’ livelihoods by robbing them of their due percentage of profits and royalties,” said Clifford B. Robinson, LIPO Deputy Director-General for Copyright. “By working in partnership with the National Collective Societies of Liberia, the government is driving anti-piracy efforts through intelligence gatherings, and educations to combat the illegal trade of piracy from further flourishing, while protecting the creative industries.”

COSOL release further that the ongoing exercise which began on Feb. 17, 2021, is geared towards ensuring that businesses trading in-copyright materials are in complying with policies and laws in regards to artistic works, particularly the country’s 2016 Intellectual Property Law that forbids all forms of piracy including 10-in-one disc.

It also focuses on enforcing the hologram stamps law, as well as, mandates that prohibit contents distributors from stockpiling their stores and warehouses with more than 40% of foreign contents and 60% of Liberians own.

Piracy, Mr. Robertson noted has a far-reaching negative economic impact on the creative industries, as a result, reducing the flow of rich and entertaining artistic content.

“The dramatic decline in revenues for content creators is the direct result of piracy – and the government is not taking this threat likely. Piracy put innovation, creativity, and investment at risk much to the detriment of the content creators,” he added.

Mr. Robertson further said that the government is reframing its anti-piracy strategy and stepping up efforts to protect the long-term economic interests of the country’s talents and copyright holders to create an enabling environment for their creativity to strive.

The new strategy, according to Robertson focuses on combating and suppressing the trade-in pirated goods by increasing inspection and enforcement exercise, and ​enforcing the country’s Intellectual Property law–at the same time, building respect for IP rights through a public awareness campaign.

“Pirated goods will be destroyed and the penalties for trading in forged commodities will be implemented according to the 2016 Liberia Intellectual Property Acts,” Robertson added.

Meanwhile, COSOL Executive Director Prince E. Decker has disclosed that the anti-piracy exercise begins with the completion of new administrative Policies and Regulations governing the inspections and enforcement in complying with internationally accepted standards.

As part of the new process, Mr. Decker said the training was conducted for forty plus volunteers nominated by the leadership of the various creative unions to serve on the copyright taskforce.

“In view thereof, the Administration of LIPO, as a matter of policy, has committed to invest more in awareness and sensitization programs and activities to bring the public on board in the fight against piracy,” he said. “We have a duty under the 2016 Intellectual Property Laws and the BERNE Convention to protect the creative content of all creators, be it Liberian work or foreign work.”

According to him, the ongoing exercise is the first, second, or third activities undertaken by LIPO and COSOL to discourage the rise of piracy and infringement on Copyright Materials.

“This institution is on record of engaging in activities and acts to promote anti-piracy; activities and programs to discourage the growth of markets for pirated products and promote the use of hologram stamps as a means of identifying illegal Copyright Materials on blank tapes from the Legal ones,” Mr. Decker added.