KECOBO orders musicians, businesses and music users to pay copyright licence fees through e-Citizen

KECOBO orders musicians, businesses and music users to pay copyright licence fees through e-Citizen - Kenya Copyright Board Chief Executive Officer, Joshua Kutuny (centre) during a past press briefing. (Photo: KECOBO)

The Copyright Board has directed all music users to pay licensed CMOs through e-Citizen and warns that collecting royalties without its authorisation is an offence.

The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has ordered individuals and organisations using copyrighted music to pay licence fees exclusively through the e-Citizen platform, warning that collecting royalties without its authorisation is a criminal offence under the Copyright Act.

In a public notice, the Board said it had noted cases of music users paying for copyright licences outside the prescribed payment channels, raising concerns over compliance with the law.

KECOBO directed all users of copyrighted music to pay licensed Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) through the official government platform at https://copyright.ecitizen.go.ke/.

“Please note that all users of musical works are required to pay licensed Collective Management Organisations for copyright licenses through the e-Citizen platform only,” the notice stated.

The directive requires individuals and organisations seeking to use copyrighted music to follow the approved payment procedure when obtaining licences from authorised CMOs.

The Board also cautioned individuals and organisations against collecting royalties without its approval, warning that doing so violates the Copyright Act.

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“It is an offence under the Copyright Act for anyone or any organisation to collect royalties without a licence from KECOBO,” the notice stated.

The notice was issued by George Nyakweba, KECOBO's Acting Executive Director.

KECOBO is a State Corporation under the Ministry of Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports. Its mandate includes licensing and supervising CMOs, which administer copyright licences and collect royalties on behalf of copyright holders.

Copyright law protects the work of creators, including songwriters, composers, musicians and music producers, by granting them rights over how their work is used.

Individuals and organisations that play copyrighted music in public or use it for commercial purposes may be required to obtain licences and pay the applicable fees.

Licensed CMOs collect these fees and distribute royalties to the copyright holders they represent, while KECOBO oversees their operations to ensure compliance with copyright regulations.