Piracy in the Entertainment Industry

Piracy is a canker worm eating the very fabric of the entertainment industry in Cameroon. It has made some artistes broke, others less rich and others not affluent enough.

Consequently, in a bid to combat this ill, civil society organisations, State authorities and artists have taken to crackdowns and the burning of seized CDs But let’s be honest for once, can piracy ever be fought successfully?

Unfortunately, the real answer is no; no matter how optimistic you want and can be. With the rise and rise of new and much- more sophisticated I.C.Ts, piracy will only wax strong.

So what can be done to attenuate the impact of piracy? In addition to not investing in CD production and exploring other avenues for revenue, I think the most important thing is accepting that the anti-piracy fight is a lost cause. Only this admission can provide the basis for formulating effective alternatives.

Let’s remember that unlike in Western society where individualism is well-seated, sharing and the communal spirit are still well in place in Cameroon.

This, in addition to the popularisation of I.C.T usage in Cameroon, worsens the situation as people will continue acts of piracy like downloading, burning and sharing of copyrighted works just to indulge an acquaintance’s request.

Until we accept that piracy cannot be fought successful, we will never move forward. Do we agree?