{"id":756513,"date":"2024-03-01T10:01:04","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T08:01:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=756513"},"modified":"2024-03-01T10:04:13","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T08:04:13","slug":"4-new-laws-sent-to-ramaphosa-to-sign-including-the-controversial-copyright-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/government\/756513\/4-new-laws-sent-to-ramaphosa-to-sign-including-the-controversial-copyright-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"4 new laws sent to Ramaphosa to sign – including controversial copyright changes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite strong and vocal opposition from people in creative industries, the National Assembly (NA) passed the controversial Copyright Amendment Bill<\/a> on 1 March 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It now sits on the desk of the president, along with three other bills, awaiting his signature to be passed into law.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The legislation looks to amend the Copyright Act of 1978 – the first comprehensive effort to modernise South Africa\u2019s copyright law in nearly 50 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to a statement released by Parliament, it (among other things) “allows for further limitations and exceptions to the reproduction of copyright works and providing for equitable remuneration or the sharing of royalties on copyrighted works.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It also provides access to copyrighted works by people with disabilities – meaning that a person converting a work into a format which is accessible to persons with disabilities, for example (like Braille), must ensure that the integrity of the original work is respected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, many are saying that while the bill has noble aims – including the above-mentioned, which provides solutions for people with various disabilities – it presents some flaws.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As such, members of parliament (MPs) from the Economic Freedom Fighters, Democratic Alliance, the African Christian Democratic Party, and the Freedom Front Plus rejected the bill during voting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the world’s largest non-profits that promotes the legal protection of copyright and authors’ rights, the Conf\u00e9d\u00e9ration Internationale des Soci\u00e9t\u00e9s d’Auteurs et Compositeurs (Cisac) has slammed the legislation in its current form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cisac said that “the bill will harm South Africa\u2019s creative community, devalue creators\u2019 works and be out of step with international best practice.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Bill is a positive initiative that fails to serve the intended purpose \u2013 to protect creators and ensure that South Africa has a modern, fair and fit-for-purpose copyright environment,” said Cisac.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some of the shortcomings argued are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n