By Ibrahim S. Bangura
Freetown, June 26, 2025 — Creators, legal experts, and government officials convened at Creative Hub Africa in Lumley on Thursday to launch critical discussions on updating Sierra Leone’s outdated Copyright Act of 2011. The consultation, themed “Getting Copyright Right to Strengthen Sierra Leone’s Creative Industry,” aimed to build consensus around a modern, enforceable, and creator-focused copyright framework in line with global standards.
The event featured leading voices in the industry including Dr. Julius Spencer—media pioneer and chair of the Ballanta Academy of Music—and Chukwu-Emeka Chikezie of Invest Salone. Together with musicians, filmmakers, digital content creators, TikTokers, and civil servants, they advocated for a copyright regime that recognizes the realities of digital media and protects Sierra Leone’s growing creative sector.
A Law Outpaced by the Digital Age
Dr. Spencer underscored the outdated nature of the 2011 Act, drafted before the rise of streaming, content monetization, and social media. “The creative economy has evolved, but the law hasn’t,” he noted. “Weak enforcement and unchecked piracy leave creators vulnerable and underpaid.”
He emphasized that copyright must guarantee both moral and financial rights—recognizing creators for their work and ensuring they profit, even when their content is commissioned.
Restructuring Royalty Collection
Central to the conversation was the restructuring of the Collective Management Organization (CMO), formerly the Collection Society, to ensure fair royalty distribution. Dr. Spencer proposed that creatives elect sector representatives within the CMO and that its governance reflect democracy and transparency, not top-down bureaucracy. A hybrid model was floated in which creatives lead decision-making while the government offers legal support and oversight.
The need to ratify international treaties and establish bilateral agreements with foreign CMOs was also raised to enable cross-border royalty payments for Sierra Leonean creators and foreign artists whose work is used locally.
Fragmentation and the Quest for Oversight
Chikezie reviewed reform efforts launched in June 2024, noting that both the creative sector and government oversight remain fragmented. Ministries currently overlap in their mandates: fashion falls under Tourism, film under Information, digital design under Innovation, and copyright enforcement under the OARG and the Ministry of Trade.
Participants discussed potential shifts in institutional oversight—with some advocating for the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs or the Ministry of Justice to oversee copyright, instead of Trade and Industry.
Assistant Director for Cultural Creativity and Innovation, Israel Ishmael Kamara, spoke on behalf of the Ministry of Tourism, affirming creators’ central role: “For too long, decisions have been made without the active participation of artists and creatives. This time, it must be your voices that lead the conversation.”
Voices from the Creative Frontlines
Testimonies from artists highlighted the urgency of reform. Singer Amie Kamara expressed concern over lost earnings: “We pour our hearts into our music, but there’s no guarantee that anyone will pay us for it.”
Filmmaker Mohamed Sesay decried unauthorized use of short films in festivals, while TikTok creator Kadiatu Sheriff shared how content creators are unprotected in the digital realm: “People repost our content and make money from it while we get nothing.”
The Way Forward
All parties agreed: reform must be inclusive, enforceable, and aligned with the modern digital economy. As Dr. Spencer concluded, “Most of today’s active creatives weren’t consulted in 2011. Now is their time to help shape a more just and effective copyright system.”