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Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has issued a six month provisional license to Performing and Audio-Visual Rights Society of Kenya PAVRISK) to operate as a Collective Management Organization (CMO) in compliance with the directives of the High Court.
The regulator, in its special sitting, issued the provisional license to PAVRISK to represent a wide range of rights in the creative industry.
In a public notice dated 4th April 2025 and signed by Kenya Copyright Board chairman Joshua Kutuny, the regulator issued the provisional license as directed by the High Court and the Copyright Tribunal on the matter of licensing of CMOs.
“The Board of Directors of the Kenya Copyright Board has today resolved to comply with court order and grant the three CMOs a six-month conditional provisional license,” Kutuny said.
PAVRISK Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Joseph Njagih said the move by KECOBO to approve its expanded mandate grants the organization legal standing as a recognized and compliant CMO in the creative industry.
Njagih said KECOBO extended PAVRISK’s mandate to represent authors, composers, arrangers, and performers of sound recordings and audio visual right holders comprising script writers, actors and actress.
“We are now fully licensed pursuant to Section 46 (2) of the Copyright Act 2001 to collect and distribute royalties on behalf of Authors, Composers, Arrangers and Performers of copyright and related rights,” the CEO added.
He said this will help resolve the long-standing confusion among users of music/audio visual works comprising of public service vehicles, taxis, broadcasters, event organizers, and hospitality businesses regarding which CMO is authorized to collect and issue licenses to users of music/dramatic works.
On April 3rd, 2025, High Court Judge Justice Wamae Cherere ordered KECOBO to comply with the directives of the Copyright Tribunal, ordering the regulator to issue a six-month provisional licenses to PAVRISK.
Yesterday, Njagih disclosed that since August last year, PAVRISK has issued invoices to users of music worth over Ksh 400 million, adding that they are in the process of enforcing payment of those invoice.
He appealed to users of music in commercial places to pay invoices in their possession to enable the CMO to discharge it’s mandate effectively and ensure artists get value for their creative work.
Section 46 (12) of the Copyright Act 2001 prohibits any society, person, or group of persons to collect royalties without a license from kenya copyright board.
“It’s therefore a criminal offense for any person or group of persons to impersonate and assume roles of a licensed CMO without a valid license,” Njagih noted.
He said payments made to an imposter amount to a loss to the copyright user, and still, he/she will be legally pursued to pay to the licensed CMO.
He said PAVRISK will send out an enforcement team in due course to collect all invoices that are overdue, adding that, if need be, pursue the matter through small claims court system.
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