The Kenya Association of Music Producers (KAMP) has settled its differences with Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) after they were issued their license.
Yesterday, in a statement, KAMP announced to their members and the public that after months of negotiations, they have officially received our collective management operating license for 2023 from the Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO).
KAMP administers the exclusive right to collect license fees from broadcasters and other commercial users of sound recordings and distribute royalties on behalf of our members, being the owners of sound recordings, in accordance with section 28 of the Copyright Act, Cap 130, Laws of Kenya.
"It has indeed been a long and arduous process, and we have emerged victorious.
We are proud to note that, in pursuit of this license, our organisation has retained the integrity of our membership data and that no additional data was given to the regulator in exchange for the license,” said AngelaNdambuki, Chairperson KAMP.
“This license allows KAMP to better represent the interests of its members and manage the protection and effective enforcement of their music rights.
As the collective management organisation for the recorded music industry in Kenya, KAMP is committed to protecting the rights of our members and providing them with the best possible service. We look forward to continuing to serve the recorded music industry in Kenya,” she added.
Earlier this week, in a meeting between KECOBO Executive Director, and Chairperson and CEO of KAMP, the regulator sought clarification on the nature of data captured in KAMP systems.
In an amicable agreement, both parties resolved to abide by the Data Protection Act and ensure all member details are within the custody of KAMP.
“KAMP is committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency and integrity in our work with both members and regulators.
We are delighted to have achieved this milestone and commit to providing a professional, reliable, and effective service to our members," said Cs Maurice Okoth, CEO, KAMP.
“We plan to increase our collections to ensure our members receive more royalties.
The broadcasters owe us over KES 300 million and we shall be collecting these arrears to distribute to our members during the next distribution scheduled for March 2023.
We, therefore, urge all broadcasters to be compliant,” he added.
Notwithstanding the challenges we’ve had to deal with, we would like to thank KECOBO for granting us the license and look forward to working together to create a healthy environment for our members to continue investing in the music industry.
We also want to thank all our members, both local and international – including the global record labels that have mandated us to license their repertoire, for their ardent support and commitment throughout this process, and look forward to continuing to serve their needs in the coming months.
The Performers Rights Society of Kenya (PRISK) has already been issued an operational license.
Music Society Copyright of Kenya (MCSK) is now the only Collective Management Organization (CMO) yet to be issued with a license.
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