Learn how to copyright your work in Kenya to prevent people from stealing, redistributing, or republishing. This might be your music, innovation, creative work, or idea.

 

Understanding  copyright

Copyright is a form of intellectual property that gives the creator of any original creative work the right to determine whether it may be copied and the conditions under which it may be copied or used by others.

The copyright act in Kenya

The Copyright Act gives copyright protection for artistic and musical works, literary works, sound recordings, audio-visual works, and broadcasts. This Act establishes the Kenya Copyright Board (KCB) as the authority involved in implementing and overseeing copyright laws. What follows are the basic steps you can take to copyright your work.

Process of Copyrighting Your Work in Kenya

The first step towards getting a copyright for your work is visiting the Kenya Copyright Board Offices. Here you will inquire for registration forms. If you are registering on behalf of another person, you will be required to present an authority letter that gives you the authority to act as an agent.  You will also be required to present a copy of your National ID.

The next step is for you to have the registration documents commissioned by a commissioner for oaths. Next, you should attach two original copies of your work. After you have done this, you should deposit the registration fee in the bank account of KCB.

After your payment has been processed, take the bank deposit slip to KECOBO offices where you will get a receipt of the registration. You will receive an original certificate of registration in 5-7 days. This waiting period allows KECOBO’s legal department to verify the copyright works that you have presented for registration.

Creative work rights after copyrighting

After your work has been copyrighted, according to Section 26 of the Copyright Act, you have the exclusive right to control the reproduction of your original work, in any material form. You also have the right to control the adaptation or translation of your work, or the distribution of this work to the public through sales, leases, rental, loan, hire, or importation. You also control communication to the public, with respect to your work.