Basic Insights Music Artistes Should Know About Intellectual Property Rights

Co-authored by Pauline Mbanza – Intern, OAL

This short article gives a basic insight into what every budding artiste should know about their Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) in music, it is also for anyone interested in the music industry and the technicalities involved.

Intellectual property refers to the creations of the mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols, names, and images used in commerce.

Intellectual property rights are protected by law, for example; trademarks, patents and copyright law protects and enables people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.

Under intellectual property law, Copyright law is the most relevant to a music artiste as music is specifically mentioned under the Act.