Kenya Copyright Board Statement On Licensed Collective Management Organization In Kenya
Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) Statement On Licensed Collective Management Organizations (CMOs) In Kenya.
The Kenya Copyright Board provides a public update on the licensed Collective Management Organisations (CMOs). This follows the public notice issued by the board on April 4, 2025.
Pursuant to Section 46(2) of the Copyright Act 2001, the Board has licensed three CMOs, namely Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK), KAMP Copyright and Related Rights Limited (KAMP), and the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MCSK), as part of a High Court ruling and an earlier decision by the Copyright Tribunal. However, the document here initially mentions that only two CMOs, PAVRISK and KAMP, have been licensed, with MCSK's license withheld due to internal disputes.
For uniformity and ease of operations, the licensed collective management organizations (CMOs) are required to collect royalties using an ICT system. They provide access to invoices, e-tims, and licenses via USSD *553# and weblinks https://license.pavrisk.or.ke/ or https://copyrightlicensing.or.ke.
Payment details for PAVRISK are as follows: KCB account no. 1327020157, account name PAVRISK, and M-Pesa paybill No. 4136329. For KAMP, the details are: account name Kenya Association of Music Producers, account No. 6522030019 at NCBA bank, and M-Pesa paybill 560400.
It is essential to note that, pursuant to Section 46(12) of the Copyright Act, it is illegal for any person, group of persons, or organizations to carry out royalty collections without a valid license from the Kenya Copyright Board. Therefore, it is illegal and criminal for anyone to issue invoices or licenses without such a license.
For avoidance of doubts, valid invoices and licenses must be issued by duly licensed CMOs and be accompanied by a corresponding KRA e-tims certificate. An invoice or license issued by either CMO suffices to avoid double payment.
For more information, inquiries can be sent via email to legal@copyright.go.ke or info@copyright.go.ke.
Signed By: Hon. Joshua Kutuny, Chairman, Kenya Copyright Board, June 6, 2025.