WC votes against Copyright and Performers Protection Amendment Bills in final mandate

1 September 2023

The Western Cape Standing Committee on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism has voted to empower their representatives in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) to vote against the adoption of the Copyright Amendment Bill, as well as the Performers Protection Amendment Bill in their final mandate.

Through rigorous legislative interrogation, it has become clear that both of these bills fall far short of the intended goals, and do not represent the interests of our artists and creators.

Both of these bills contain numerous substantive issues and are poorly drafted, and the DA cannot in good conscience support their adoption.

A key issue throughout the public participation process has been the lack of a proper Socio-economic Impact Assessment System (SEIAS) report being compiled on the Copyright Amendment Bill. Such a report must be compiled to note the impact a bill will have on different stakeholders, in this case different industries such as film, publishing and music, among others.

The lack of such a report may well represent gross negligence on the part of the National Department of Trade, Industry and Competition.

Both of these bills need to be redrafted in their entirety, to strengthen protections for our artists and creators in line with international best practice.

The DA in the Western Cape will not support legislation that is not up to the required standard, and could in fact be counter to the stated goals, as we take our role as representatives of our residents’ interests seriously.

Issued by Cayla Murray, DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Finance, Economic Opportunities and Tourism, 1 September 2023