Luanda - The National Service for Copyright and Related Rights (SENADIAC) has suspended the authorizations granted to three cultural associations that carry out the activity of collective management of copyright in the country.
According to information published Wednesday by the public newspaper of Angola (JA), these are the Single Association for Copyright and Related Rights (AUDAC), the Angolan Society for Copyright (SADIA) and the National Union of Artists and Composers (UNAC-SA).
It was all due to a conflict between the associations and the users of the creators' works such as some event production companies, radio and television stations, hotels, commercial companies as well as service stations that refused to pay royalties.
In this sense, a press conference is scheduled for Thursday to clarify the reasons for the decision, and it will take place at the SENADIAC headquarters, located in the municipality of Talatona.
However, one of the controversial cases occurred on May 28 of this year, when the Commercial and Intellectual Property Chamber of the District Court of Luanda received the AUDAC case against the producer Nova Energia for non-payment of copyright and connection fees.
According to data, sources linked to the process added that the suspension is based on the issue of clarifying payment destinations of the charges made by copyright management associations.
SENADIAC is the body of the Ministry of Culture whose mission is to authorize the exercise of the activity of collective management of copyright and connections, as well as to control and supervise the functioning of organizations recognized as Collective Management Entities (EGC), ensuring rigor and transparency.
AUDAC was the result of negotiations between the National Union of Artists and Composers (UNAC-SA) and the Angolan Copyright Society (SADIA), both management societies recognized by the Ministry of Culture.
Before this decision, SADIA had already faced problems in deciding the amounts for its members. There is an internal division within UNAC-SA regarding the partnership with AUDAC. ANM/PA/MRA/DOJ
