Intellectual Property Rights of Burkinabe Musicians Given Center Stage
40 disabled artists and activists, lawyers and government officials participated June 11 in a workshop/conference at the American Cultural Center on “Promoting the Rights of Burkinabe Artists.” Organized by the National Union of Disabled Artists to sensitize radio station owners and music user/vendors on the intellectual property rights (IPR) of artists, the program’s two speakers were officials from the Burkinabe IPR Office for Authors’ Rights. After opening remarks from representatives of the Social Affairs Ministry and National Communication Council, the IPR specialists carefully and thoroughly walked program participants through the concept and application of intellectual property laws and royalties as they apply to Burkinabe artists, musicians, writers and composers. Given that the workshop’s audience was evenly composed of professional musicians, media managers, and disabled union activists, their follow-on comments and questions reflected many different concerns and interests. Topics raised and discussed included how to register an artistic property such as a song or documentary, what factors were used to determine royalty fees, who was entitled to receive the funds collected, and where in Burkina Faso people could go to get more information or advice on IPR matters.