Theses and Dissertations

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Browsing Theses and Dissertations by Author "ADETONA, David, Adefore"

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    INVESTIGATION INTO NEWSPAPERS’ ADHERENCE TO COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS IN NAMIBIA
    (NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2021-07) ADETONA, David, Adefore
    This study sought to investigate how Namibian newspapers are adhering to copyright laws and regulations, especially in the era of media convergence. It also investigated how selected mainstream media organisations are either empowered or disempowered by the current copyright regulations, which were passed in 1994. It also assessed whether the current copyright laws used in Namibia made provisions for the use of open copyright licensing like Creative Commons. This study used a qualitative research methodology, consisting of document analysis and in-depth interviews. In order to collect primary data, interviews were conducted with journalists and editors from three media organisations in Windhoek, Namibia. These were The Namibian, New Era, and Economist. These media organisations were purposively sampled. According to the study, the majority of interviewees at The Namibian, New Era, and Economist newspapers follow the copyright regulations enshrined in the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Protection Act 6 of 1994.However, despite their religious adherence to the Act, most of the respondents explained that the legislative framework was now outdated and applied in the digital age, where content creation, distribution, and consumption are driven by multi-platforms. In the context of media convergence, respondents indicated that their content is often plagiarized by content vultures, which are dotted across the globe. They also observed that there are no safeguards in the current law to protect them from copyright transgressors. It was also revealed that most editors and journalists are aware of copyright regulations and their importance in publishing or unpublishing editions of news, articles, or information dissemination. It was also found that newspapers in Namibia follow copyright regulations with regards to attribution and referencing materials sourced from online and archival sources. The findings also demonstrated that the three media organizations recognized the importance of progressive copyright regulations. It was also found that editors and journalists are making efforts toward copyright regulations' provisions for open access copyright licensing or fair use dealing exceptions like creative commons. The study found that attribution is compulsory when journalists and editors use or reuse copyrighted works with the provision of creative commons or fair use dealing exceptions. Conversely, the study revealed that the majority of the newspaper institutions, editors, or journalists are less aware of the International Copyright Act or treaties such as the Berne Convention, WIPO’s Copyright Treaty (WCT), WIPO’s Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT), and Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).