Films Association of Malawi (FAMA) has complained that the Copyrights Society of Malawi (COSOMA) delays giving the film producers their loyalties.
FAMA Acting President, Ashukire Mwakisulu, told Malawi24 that COSOMA is supposed to give the Film Association of Malawi its dues between May and June.
Mwakisulu added that FAMA has been engaging COSOMA but has never received convincing responses over the matter such that sometimes the delay is blamed on electricity blackouts and delays by the Malawi Revenue Authority to give money to the copyright association.
“We have been engaging COSOMA but we are sometimes told that MRA has not given them money it collects,” he said.
One of the film producers, Never Matewere, said many people in the film industry fail to yield their talent and claimed that those who burn music are the ones who reap where they don’t reap.
He therefore said it would have been better if COSOMA was able to pay loyalties in good times so that people in the film industry also benefit from their skills.
One of the Senior COSOMA officials, Shadrick Kumtengo, explained that his office doesn’t have power because the electricity meter got burnt such that computers at their offices are not working.
Kumtengo observed that FAMA is failing to understand the procedure of paying the loyalties.
He added that film makers can get loyalties because it is only to those that are affected by copyrights.