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ARTICLE · 22 JULY 2020

Cyril's Copyright U-Turn

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On 16 June 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa referred the proposed Copyright and Performers' Protection Amendment Bills back to the National Assembly for re-consideration.

South AfricaIntellectual Property
Tevin Jones
Tevin Jones
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On 16 June 2020, President Cyril Ramaphosa referred the proposed Copyright and Performers' Protection Amendment Bills back to the National Assembly for re-consideration.

Since 2017, the government has been taking steps to pass legislation to amend copyright laws in South Africa. Some of the most notable issues the Amendment Bills seek to address are to:

  • accommodate the visually impaired and otherwise print disabled persons by introducing exceptions to the exclusive right of authors (or their assignees) to reproduce or copy works; and
  • provide educators and students greater and easier access to works of all kind with a view to increasing access to information.

However, there are many other issues canvassed below that are more contentious in nature.

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