SAMRO’s CEO Visits COSON As Nigeria & South Africa Forge Close Co-Operation In Copyright Collective Management

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole approved copyright collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings and Southern Africa Music Rights Organization (SAMRO), the continent’s oldest collective management organization, have pledged to work closely to boost revenue from African music around the world.

The agreement is the product of the visit of the SAMRO CEO, Mr Sipho Dlamini to the COSON Corporate Headquarters in Lagos during the week. Welcoming Mr Dlamini to Nigeria, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, said that SAMRO and COSON were in a unique position because of the size of the economies they represent, to work together to inspire the rest of the continent.

One of the fruits of the visit was the agreement by COSON and SAMRO to explore the sharing of common database technology to ensure more efficient documentation and monitoring of the use of the music in the repertoire of both organizations across the world and the proper collection and distribution of royalties due to their members. The discussions in Lagos were joined via teleconferencing by the CEO of Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), Mr Maurice Okoth whose organization has also pledged to work with SAMRO and COSON on the agreed project.

The agreement by three of Africa’s most acclaimed CMOs to work together is expected to result in the increased value of African music and increased return to African music right owners across the world.

Mr Dlamini was full of praise for the progress made by COSON in so short a time and thanked Chief Okoroji for the warm reception he had received in Nigeria.
Present at the meeting with Mr Dlamini was COSON General Manager, Mr Chinedu Chukwuji who had just returned from a week long working visit to South Africa and Malawi. Also present was COSON Board member, Mrs Azeezat Allen.

Source: COSON