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{
    "id": 768839,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/768839/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 105,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. (Ms.) Shamalla Jennifer",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13169,
        "legal_name": "Jeniffer Shamala",
        "slug": "jeniffer-shamala"
    },
    "content": "Hon. Temporary Deputy Speaker, I rise to support this Bill especially in view of the fact that we recognise that copyright intellectual property rights are indeed the works of the human spirit. Intellectual property is also the driving force of the economies for countries such as the USA. You will see that the copyright industry drives the film industry, from which they earn billions of US dollars. The industrial designs in patterns and trademarks and other aspects of intellectual property, earns them billions of dollars, especially in the areas of pharmaceuticals and defence industry. I wish to reiterate that when this Bill goes to the Committee of the whole House, Members should carefully consider Section 22A of the amendment that says, in Clause 9, under Memorandum of Objects and Reasons that the registration shall be voluntary. Indeed, copyright is an automatic right. Therefore, there is no need for compulsory registration. Hence it is important that this comes up very clearly in the amended Section 22A. Furthermore, Section 22A (3) says that the registration shall be prima facie evidence. Again, I wish to reiterate that the position as per the Berne Convention that guides all copyrights and provides for all the issues related to copyright states that the prima facie evidence is the evidence that even the artist may have with himself. So, to state in Section 22A (3) that the registration becomes the prima facie evidence will be making it mandatory for copyright owners to register their works. I hope at the Committee stage they will recognise this and ensure that, in line with the Berne Convention, the amendments are made to ensure that registration of copyrights is not mandatory. Indeed, it is important that we begin to see intellectual property rights as an economic driving force for this country. With those remarks, I support."
}