Call to suspend the Copyright Act Amendment Bill and the Performer's Protection Amendment Bill

Dear Mr Hlupheka Mtileni,

RE: The Select Committee on Trade and International Relations on the Copyright Amendment Bill [B13B-2017]

While I applaud an update of the South African law to bring it in line with international best practice to support the creative industries and protect artists and performers, I suspect the bill as it stands will have a number of unintended consequences that will effectively reduce foreign investment.

This could be disastrous for the creative economy and significantly reduce employment opportunities for the very artists the bill aims to protect. 

There are many tried and tested precedents for how this new law could be drafted and set the ground work for South African creatives to thrive in the 4th industrial revolution.
 
However, the language of the bill is vague and confusing and it is impossible to understand the full extent of how the law will apply. It is therefore impossible to agree with the contents. 
 
I would like to appeal to the National Council of Provinces Select Committee to make a recommendation to suspend the bill in order to redraft it and subject it to a proper impact assessment process.

 


Animation South Africa, a member organisation of the South African Screen Federation.    Contact the author of the petition