Management Organization (CMO) the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK) has said that it has entered a new era of openness and transparency with the first of five royalty distributions to its members.
According to MCSK, which will distribute Kshs 20 million for the period 1st January 2023 – 31st December 2023 in this quarter, long gone are the days of whining and crying among its membership due to low distributions despite heavy airplay by the media, the transport and hospitality industry.
“In 2024, we are looking forward to greater support from the government, better engagement with members and a new chapter of openness and transparency,” says the CEO Music Copyright Society of Kenya Dr Ezekiel Mutua.
This society has further asked for greater collaboration with the Ministry of Interior to enable safer and better collections by its officers to users of its members’ music.
According to MCSK CMOs can collect over Kshs two billion annually leading to better distribution to its members. Further, the society expects better collections in the coming months after the gazettement of new tariffs and the introduction of the black tape levy also referred to as the Remuneration for Private Copying which came into force in September 2023 and which a legal suit has since commenced.
MCSK currently estimates that only about 15 percent of users are compliant.
“If the Minister for Interior gives us police for enforcement we have billions to be collected out there with the media holding a substantial amount. Now add that to the hospitality and matatu industry and we can promise our members fat checks in the coming months,” says MCSK Chairman Lazarus Muli.
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