Collective Management Organizations (CMOs)

  • CMOs manage copyright and related rights collectively on behalf of creators, ensuring they are paid when their works are used. Functions:-
  • Licensing and royalty collection
  • Distribution of payments
  • Monitoring and enforcement
  • Education and international cooperation

Main Ethiopian CMOs:

  • Ethiopian Copyright and Neighboring Rights Collective Management Organization (ECNRCMO)
  • Ethiopian Musicians’ Copyright and Neighboring Rights Organization (EMCNRO)

What is Royalty

  • Royalty is a payment made to the owners of copyright and related rights when their works are used for commercial value. Proclamation No. 410/2004 to protect copyright and neighboring rights had completely neglected this critical issue of royalty. Hence, a considerable emphasis has been given to royalty in the Proclamation No. 872/2014 to amend the aforementioned proclamation. Under the amendment, there is a provision on the obligation to pay royalty. It is clearly stated therein that any person who uses any works protected under the proclamation for commercial purpose shall have the obligation to pay royalty to the relevant collective management society. The society is formed and the tariff is set and approved by EIPA though it is subject to negotiation.