The last month has seen multiple countries on the African continent leading the charge against copyright infringers and content pirates. This includes announcements by the Commerce Ministry in Liberia, as well as the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Ethiopia between MultiChoice® Africa, the Ethiopian Ministry of Culture and Sport (MOCS), as well as the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Authority (EIPA) to combat piracy, support the creative sector and safeguard the country's cultural heritage. This MoU forms part of the Partners Against Piracy (PAP) programme, a continent-wide push to clamp down on content piracy. The PAP has so far resulted in over a hundred raids across the continent, the shutting down of thousands of content piracy networks and the arrest of over a hundred individuals involved in illegal activities related to content piracy. Countries where the PAP has been active include Angola, Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Malawi, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. The PAP is also actively involved in engaging with governments to reform anti-piracy laws.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
