A regional approach to the management of copyright in the Caribbean community

Abstract

Copyright is a property right that confers valuable economic rights. However, the benefits of the copyright system can be realized only if the rights are suitably managed. Traditionally, copyright is managed on a territorial basis. This thesis questions the suitability of copyright management on a territorial basis in the small states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). It argues that the relatively small pool of right-holders in each state, and the small national repertoires make the territorial management of rights unsuitable and unviable. The hypothesis of the study is that copyright management in CARICOM will be successful only if it is undertaken on a regional basis with centralized structures that can benefit from economies of scale. The hypothesis is tested with reference to the management of copyright generated by two distinct groups of right-holders in CARICOM a) authors, composers and publishers of music and b) Universities. The study concludes that the effective management of the rights of authors, composers and publishers of music should be undertaken in CARICOM by one collective management organization which would issue a pan-Caribbean licence covering the works of right-holders in all CARICOM states, and that the copyright generated by Universities in these states should be managed by a single regional mechanism.