INVESTIGATION INTO NEWSPAPERS’ ADHERENCE TO COPYRIGHT REGULATIONS IN NAMIBIA
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Date
2021-07
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
NAMIBIA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Abstract
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of the respondents explained that the legislative framework was now outdated and applied in the digital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).
Description
Keywords
Newspapers, copyrights, Regulations.
Citation
Adetona, D. A. (2022). Investigation into newspapers’ adherence to copyright regulations in namibia [Master’s thesis, Namibia University of Science and Technology].