Copyright Infringements and The Gambia Music Industry

Abstract

This research paper seeks to examine in detail how copyrights protecting music, as contained in the Copyright Act of 2004, are presently being infringed in the Gambia, and to also draw the attention to the adverse effects these purported infringements are having on the players and institutions involved in the Gambian music industry. Using bibliographic sources, the research paper highlights the history, current informal structures and questionable modes of operation within the Gambian music industry and how these have contributed to endemic copyright infringements that have plagued the industry since its inception. After outlining the obstacles that the present generation of Gambian artists must tackle on a regular basis, the paper presents recommendations as to how these problems could be potentially solved. It concludes with a positive outlook on the future of both the Gambian music industry and copyright enforcement.