Copyright laws in place to protect artists: Hoot

The National Business
Clarence Hoot

By CLARISSA MOI
GOVERNMENT intervention should not be an obstacle for artisans, musicians, fashion designers and writers to pursue copyright protection in the country, according to the Investment Promotion Authority (IPA).
Managing director Clarence Hoot told The National that the current copyright law already provided for automatic protection and this law was enforceable through the courts.
Hoot said there had been a lot of misinformation in the media and on social media in relation to intellectual property rights.
He explained that the Intellectual Property Office of PNG was housed within the IPA and administered the following intellectual property laws: Trademarks Act, Chapter 385, Patents and Industrial Designs Act 2000 and the Copyrights and Neighbouring Rights Act 2000.
Intellectual property refers to the creation of the mind such as inventions, literary and artistic works, designs and symbols.
Products that were created using the mind, which has been realised and was a tangible format can be protected.
Ideas cannot be protected.
Copyright is a legal term used to describe the rights that creators have over their literary and artistic works.
“We have seen a continuous misunderstanding by the public that Government was not doing enough but there is already a law in place to protect copyright works,” Hoot said.
“This is the first and basic Government intervention by enacting the Copyrights and Neighbouring Rights Act 2000.
“To say that the Government has done little is not fair. The challenge is the enforcement of these rights by individuals, where and who do they seek assistance from is the concern.
“It must be made clear that securing an intellectual property right protection already empowers you to exercise your right.
“It is a private right meaning that you have to manage your portfolio and enforce your rights through the courts.
“It’s like trying to manage a business, intellectual property is the same, in fact, having an intellectual property right is a business asset that must be managed.”