AfrIPI and OAPI harmonise strategies for exploiting cultural content in the digital era
A regional workshop on the harmonisation of strategies for the exploitation of cultural content in the OAPI Member States was organised with support from the Intellectual Property Rights and Innovation in Africa (AfrIPI) Project and the African Intellectual Property Organisation (OAPI).
The three-day regional workshop, which took place from 18-20 December 2023 in Douala, Cameroon, provided a forum for discussion and the adoption of a coordinated strategy for implementing economic models that will enable the effective exploitation of cultural creations that are increasingly more centred on digital communication.
The workshop aimed to: raise awareness of the challenges faced by the cultural industry; propose an exploitation strategy; and adopt a plan of action outlining the stages and means of implementing the strategy. Furthermore, it also provided an opportunity to enhance the capacity of delegates from the OAPI Member States in the management and exploitation of intellectual property rights related to the distribution of cultural content via digital channels.
The event was attended by representatives of collective management societies and government departments responsible for culture in the various OAPI Member States. It provided a framework for the interchange of experiences and best practices to guarantee a profitable technological turn for the African cultural industry.
A strategic plan for the development of copyright and related rights in Africa was adopted in 2019 in Nairobi under the auspices of WIPO in collaboration with ARIPO and OAPI. Its implementation involves various actors at different levels: States, Regional Economic Organisations, Intellectual Property Organisations, Non-Governmental Organisations, collective management organisations, rights holders, etc.