The United States has called on African governments to strengthen intellectual property (IP) laws and enforcement, saying improved copyright protection could help musicians, filmmakers and other creators earn more from the continent’s rapidly expanding creative economy.
The call was made by Katherine Hiner, Intellectual Property Attaché for Sub-Saharan Africa at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), during a digital press briefing hosted by the U.S. Department of State’s Africa Regional Media Hub.
Hiner said Africa’s music industry had recorded double-digit growth for five consecutive years, but weak copyright systems, piracy and poor enforcement continued to prevent many creators from fully benefiting from the sector’s economic potential.
“Music isn’t just for fun; it is a business,” she said, stressing that creators need transparent systems that enable them to own, protect and monetise their work.
Hiner said the US had launched the year-long IP for Growth initiative to promote stronger intellectual property protection across Africa through workshops and policy engagement.
According to her, the programme began in Geneva before expanding to Lagos and Johannesburg, where policymakers, musicians, producers, entertainment lawyers and industry executives discussed ways to modernise copyright frameworks for the digital era.
She said the initiative aimed to help African creators compete more effectively in the global creative economy by improving copyright administration and enforcement.
One of the biggest challenges facing African creators, Hiner noted, was the significant revenue lost to piracy and inefficient rights management.
Citing research presented during the workshops, she said Nigeria and Kenya alone lose about $286 million in recorded music revenue annually because earnings remain uncollected.
She identified three major reforms needed across the continent: greater transparency in royalty collection systems, wider public education on intellectual property rights and stronger enforcement against piracy.
Drawing on the US experience, Hiner said sustained investment in intellectual property systems had generated substantial economic returns.
READ ALSO: N-25 Initiative: Niger Mobilises LGAs to Tackle Malnutrition
“IP-intensive industries contributed $11.4 trillion to the US economy in 2024, representing 44 percent of private-sector GDP, while supporting 65.8 million jobs and accounting for more than 80 percent of commodity export value,” she said.
She added that workers in copyright-intensive industries earn, on average, 130 percent more than workers in sectors that are not heavily dependent on intellectual property.
Hiner urged African countries to ratify and fully implement key international copyright treaties, including the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, saying they provide essential legal protections for digital streaming, downloads and cross-border music distribution.
On artificial intelligence, she said existing legal principles, such as fair use and fair dealing, would remain central to balancing the interests of creators and technology innovators as AI continues to reshape the creative industry.
Hiner said the discussions would culminate in a final event at the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights in Geneva later this year, where lessons from the African workshops would be presented.
