Artists, COSBOTS war over royalties intensifies
Spira Tlhankane | Thursday January 26, 2017 18:00
The meeting was organised by Botswana Musicians Union (BOMU) in an effort to solve the issue after artists complained about COSBOTS’s failure to distribute their royalties in time. COSBOTS is mandated by the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act CAP 68:02 to among others license and collect royalties from users of copyright/protected works to distribute to copyright owners. COSBOTS has been distributing royalties since 2014.
Artists have also served the current COSBOTS board with papers and they expect the latter to usher in new board members and leave office. In an interview with Showbiz, one of the disgruntled members, Alfred Mosimanegape confirmed that indeed they have taken legal action against the organisation. “Their term is over and they have to vacate that office,” he said. The Kwasa Kwasa legend said as artists they decided to refuse to hold a meeting with COSBOTS because they have made it clear in the past that they do not deal with separate entities such as BOMU.
“We were surprised to see them facilitate a meeting with us through BOMU because they hold meetings with their members only. We don’t know what changed this time,” he highlighted. Mosimanegape, who is a former president of BOMU, said he had made several attempts in the past to make the relationship work but COSBOTS never recognised BOMU. He said if COSBOTS wants a meeting with them they should address them individually without involving BOMU. He said as artists they are not happy with maladministration at COSBOTS and the fact that they have been holding elections secretly. Mosimanegape said they also do not understand why some artists can get as little as P15 worth of royalties in a period of six months.
COSBOTS communications manager, Seeletso Lekgaba said they do not know why the meeting was adjourned after BOMU had invited them. “They told us to wait outside and the meeting never resumed because the artists walked out,” she said. Lekgaba said they were there to address artists’ complaints about royalties. She said some of their members are also members of BOMU and that is why they agreed to be part of the meeting.
She said they always consult with their members and have held meetings to explain how collection of royalties works. Lekgaba pointed out that artists were demanding royalties from the month of September mostly because radio stations played 100% local music at the time. She said in December COSBOTS distributed royalties collected from October 2015 to March 2016. She said they have not distributed the remaining royalties because collection and setting up dates requires time. Lekgaba said they have no problem with BOMU and they will continue to acknowledge their invites in the future.
For his part BOMU secretary general, Pagson Ntsie said the meeting could not continue because of the unresolved issues between COSBOTS and artists. He said their role was to facilitate a platform for the two to solve the issue of royalties. Ntsie said the artists indicated that COSBOTS should have called their members to address them rather than involving BOMU. “We thought we could create a platform whereby this issue could be solved but in the end we were the victims,” he said.
He said COSBOTS initially approached BOMU to facilitate the meeting. “After calling our artists we invited COSBOTS to meet with them and discuss this issue because fighting over this doesn’t pay,” he highlighted. Ntsie said artists also complained that chapters were not invited to the meeting therefore it was unconstitutional. Ntsie said artists should however understand that COSBOTS is not an association but it is rather a private company limited by guarantee.