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After a rough overnight flight from Accra to Maputo via Johannesburg I arrived in Mozambique for a couple of days of intensive work. It wasn't all work, of course. Even compared to the fantastic seafood I'd just sampled on the shores of each of the Mediterranean Sea, Atlantic Ocean and Bay of Benin, the Mozambican prawns fresh from the Indian Ocean were incredible. Mozambique is also fascinating for its mix of cultures and traditions. The remnants of the Portuguese influence are everywhere, including in the language of course. But it is also a former communist state, and is surrounded by former English colonies (so, for example, they drive on the left to avoid cross-border confusion). Given the genuine African friendliness I experienced there, I'd put Maputo near the top of places I'll visit again.
It was a very busy stay. We met more copyright stakeholders in Mozambique than anywhere else, despite spending the least amount of time there. Almost from the moment we arrived, we began to learn what the Mozambican team has been up to.
Our first stop on the Monday morning was at the offices of SOMAS, the Sociedade Moçambicana de Autores. Like CopyGhana, SOMAS is positioned for tremendous growth over the coming years. There are key distinctions, however, between the Ghanaian and Mozambican collectives, including the nature of the authors and rights represented. SOMAS is most active licensing performing rights for authors of musical works. Interestingly, they can also represent authors of literary works, and thus the same collective could theoretically be offering blanket licences to users as diverse as radio stations and reprography departments. But, here's the catch, a clause in their constituting charter prohibits them from representing publishers; they only represent individual authors. Until that quirk is sorted out, the society's potential seems limited.
Despite the differences in collective administration in Ghana and Senegal, there are also striking similarities. The most interesting was their sources of support and guidance: Kopinor (the Norwegian reprography collective) and WIPO. Together these organizations have exerted consider influence in the design and implementation of collective licensing across Africa, we learned.
We also met a representative from Mozambique's Copyright Office, which I understand operates under the Ministry of Culture and Education. I'll be curious to learn more about how copyright and education intersect in Mozambique given that the same ministry assumes responsibility for both issues.
On the topic of education, we were treated to an intriguing presentation by staff from Universidade Eduardo Mondlane, who have just established an amazing distance education programme that connects teachers and learners throughout the country. The programme is supported by numerous institutions, including the Commonwealth of Learning. They've still got some ways to go before all of their potential copyright issues are sorted out, but they're already moving in the right direction by utilizing Creative Commons licences in delivery of their materials. I think the Mozambicans have the potential to set an excellent example not just for Africa but for the entire world. And our team is excellently positioned to help them achieve this potential over the coming years.
The final stop was at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane's law school, where we were treated to a wonderful celebration complete with food, drinks and music. Of course the party wasn't for us; they were celebrating the law school's anniversary. But we were welcomed nonetheless by a Dean who was clearly eager to collaborate on the project in any way possible. This made for a great end to a short stay in Mozambique.
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