Call to suspend the Copyright Act Amendment Bill and the Performer's Protection Amendment Bill

Comments

#1

I am writer and director living and working in Cape Town, and being able to assign and sell rights is crucial to my ability to do business.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-18)

#6

I am signing for all the reasons stated on the petition, this bill will adversely affect my business, collaborating talent and all our IP which we create to attract foreign investment into as co-productions on animated Tv series, films and VR projects etc.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-18)

#10

this act is going to adversely affect people working in the creative industries - industries which are already vulnerable to abuse and exploitation

(Queenswood, 2019-02-18)

#16

I'm signing because I'm tired of incompetent South African self-entitled 'politicians' with sticky fingers and no backbone, who continually seek to disempower the working class, and thereby would destroy themselves in the process.

(Plettenberg Bay, 2019-02-18)

#21

I am a creative and this effects me

(western cape, 2019-02-18)

#28

I would like more clarity in the bill - the extents to which it will influence artists in South Africa and the work which they produce.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-18)

#32

Creatives must be protected and the royalties from their creations should be inherited by their descendants

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-18)

#37

Artists and distributors need to be the audience of such bills. This has instead been confined to relative obscurity. And similarly, it is vague. Vague laws help no one.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-18)

#39

I'm signing because the bill does not consider the audio-visual industry or the written comments and suggestions made by the industry during the consultation process. The bill is also user-friendly instead of protecting the creator, and wording in fair use is vague and can be interpreted in different ways. Consultation with the audio-visual industry and taking our comments and suggestions seriously is crucial!

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-18)

#41

We need to think ahead and get this right. More thought needs to go into a bill of this nature and the impact it will have on much needed foreign investment.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-18)

#46

I'm signing because this bill will damage the industry the way it is currently drafted.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-19)

#47

I'm a producer who works in the creative industries (animation, film, television) and am worried this bill will negatively affect the artists with whom I work and our creative economy in general.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-19)

#52

The flight of investors if this goes through is based on fact, that many established companies would have to follow is another.

Redraft the bill:
Please!

(Cape Town, 2019-02-19)

#54

It is vague and needs to be clarified who the bill will be protecting.

(Pretoria, 2019-02-19)

#57

I am part of the greater industry and believe that the Copyright Act (as is) will greatly affect foreign investment and employment.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-19)

#64

This serves to give my comments on the copyright bill and performers protection bill - these bills have been rushed through parliment and not been given enough time for public participation and public comment. It is alarming to realise that this bill is set to go through so quickly with so little time for the public to engage with the content and comment in a meaningful way. From what we can see the bill as it is is confusing and does not align with international precedent. We ask that the bill is suspended and redrafted to ensure it protects the rights of the artists and supports economic activity in the creative industries.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-19)

#65

It is alarming to realise that this bill is set to go through so quickly with so little time for the public to engage with the content and comment in a meaningful way.

From what we can see the bill as it is is confusing and does not align with international precedent.

We ask that the bill is suspended and redrafted to ensure it protects the rights of the artists and supports economic activity in the creative industries.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-19)

#67

As someone who works in the industry and hope to continue making a living in said industry. I don't want bill's with good intentions but vague and confusing clauses to potentially harm the growth of the entertainment industry. Please delay so that a better more clear bill can be written.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-19)

#74

I am upset by after all the submissions I have been involved in the rash to get this version passed.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-19)

#78

This affects most of my friends and my industry.

(Gauteng, 2019-02-19)

#79

I want to protect my rights to the creative content I create and would like the Bill to be redrafted and reviewed to not only be better for artists and the ownership they have over the content they work so hard to create but that also helps the economic growth and appeal of the country through the creative industry

(Cape Town, 2019-02-19)

#80

Get this done right, ambiguity and bad writing is no excuse to potentially ruin multiple creative industries, copyright holders future financial gains. this could potentially be another breeding ground for fraud and corruption, something we do NOT need more of in the country that we love

(Cape Town, 2019-02-19)

#91

I agree with the reasons for this petition and many other relevant reasons. GLR

(Cape Town, 2019-02-20)

#92

taking earnings away from composers ,so platforms like google can make more.

(Georgr, 2019-02-20)

#95

The bill does not protect our copyright and only allows giants like Google to bully us into submission.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-20)

#97

Suspend for review

(Oaklands, 2019-02-20)

#98

The bill is awfully vague and needs to be refracted in order to accommodate for creative's.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-20)

#108

I believe in the protection of the creative laborer's rights!

(Parow, 2019-02-20)

#109

Despite the good intentions of the Copyright Amendment Bill, the introduction of wide-ranging exceptions and limitations could discourage authors from writing books and publishers from taking the financial risk to publish those books, as it would create a climate within which freely copying copyright works for a wide range of purposes is permitted.
Many authors earn their livelihood from writing for the education market. The education market is by far the largest sector within the book publishing industry. Allowing copying of books and inclusion of copyright material in course packs instead of encouraging educational institutions to purchase copies of books, or licences to reproduce copyright works, erodes authors’ rights and drastically curtails their ability to make a living.
Authors' protests in this regard have been ignored, even though a petition with the signatures of more than 3000 individuals (which included some of South Africa's most prominent authors, among them a Nobel Prize winner) and 125 organisations and businesses was handed to the minister of Trade and Industry on 3 December 2018. The wording of the petition was: "The Copyright Amendment Bill does not strike a fair balance between the interests of the authors and the interests of the 'users' of copyright works. It is not in line with international copyright treaties. I strongly object to its adoption." For more information, see https://www.litnet.co.za/press-release-authors-unite-against-copyright-amendment-bill/ and https://www.litnet.co.za/south-african-authors-protest-against-copyright-amendment-bill/

(Cape Town, 2019-02-20)

#112

I am an artist in SA, and this bill affects me

(Cape Town, 2019-02-20)

#124

Copyright can be done right to protect creators over business and advertising for generations to come

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-20)

#137

Respectfully, if South Africa makes a mistake with this Bill, it is likely to be replicated across the rest of Africa. Please consider these concerns.

(Nairobi, 2019-02-20)

#138

I believe this bill should be properly assessed for the most beneficial outcome that everyone can be happy with.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-20)

#139

I work in VFX and feature film. We need as much foreign investment as we can get in our industry for South Africa. I would not want to hurt that.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-20)

#142

CREATIVITY IS LIFE

(Cape Town, 2019-02-21)

#145

I believe in the right of authors to fully exploit economic rights to their full advantage

(Kampala, 2019-02-21)

#146

As an author of school textbooks and an educationalist, I fear the Bill has the potential to discourage and smother the critically needed variety of voices to stimulate and educate learners and students as inquisitive, thinking, informed and skilled persons participating in a democratic, 21st century society.

(Kuilsrivier, 2019-02-21)

#149

I agree with this petition

(Cape Town, 2019-02-21)

#158

I don't believe the bill should pass in it's current form.

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-21)

#162

This bill has not been fully considered, in terms of the impact it will have in the animation and VFX industry. It could be the death of service work which it the main industry.

(Cape Town, 2019-02-21)

#167

I believe we should have a regulatory impact assessment

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-21)

#173

Im a creative and this act influences my freedom of creativity in a negative way

(Cape Town, 2019-02-21)

#177

I am signing because the Bill is disastrous to the creative industries. Its negative impact will spill over to rest of the southern Africa.

(Lilongwe, 2019-02-21)

#180

im against this bill

(Cape Town, 2019-02-21)

#181

I'm signing this petition because i own an events planning and management company that hires the creatives requested by my clients for their events and it will hurt my business when this new law hurts the creatives.

(Joe slovo park, 2019-02-21)

#182

I work in collective management of authors rights and fully appreciate the negative impact that badly crafted piece of legislation can have on both collective management and welfare of the creators

(Lilongwe, 2019-02-21)

#192

The situation is getting ridiculous

(cape town, 2019-02-21)

#197

I am a creative and do not agree with the vague hanging smd jack of definition used in this document.

(Cape town, 2019-02-21)

#199

Because I am opposed to the Bill - it does protect the interest of composers and performers

(Johannesburg, 2019-02-21)