Dear Editor,
The Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport must develop this consciousness and come to this realization with a great degree of alacrity: that the entertainment industry in Guyana is an untapped industry, with tremendous potential to empower those with the interest, talent and skills; for it can create massive employment opportunities and contribute significantly to the country’s economy.
It is therefore paramount for the Ministry — and by extension the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport — to take the lead in engaging the Minister of Legal Affairs, the country’s Attorney General, to ensure that copyright legislation is enacted for this sector, to cater to this demographic of talented people, young people.
Copyright is an essential component of protecting intellectual property rights, especially for artists and writers. This legislation is vital for Guyana, as it is crucial for ensuring that artists and writers are able to protect their works, ideas and creativity, and earn money from it. Additionally, it can help to build and develop the entertainment industry in Guyana, leading to revenue generation, job creation, and an increase of the country’s global image in promoting our Guyanese brand, while at the same time contributing to the nation’s GDP and foreign revenue.
Guyana’s entertainment industry is untapped, but has enormous potential. With the implementation of copyright legislation, artists and writers in Guyana can be confident that their works would get the protection they deserve. This legislation would allow them to profit from their works, while still retaining control of the use of their intellectual properties. It would ensure that they have the liberty to make decisions about how their works are reproduced, published, and used, thereby enabling them to prevent third-party entities from exploiting their intellectual properties unlawfully.
Further, the implementation of copyright legislation in our country would undoubtedly open up new avenues for the development of the entertainment industry, which is currently underdeveloped.
Guyana’s entertainment industry can be a major source of revenue, employment, and creative output, as it is for many countries globally. Therefore, if copyright legislation is established in Guyana, the entertainment industry can become a major contributor to the country’s economic growth, and contribute significantly towards addressing the huge unemployment that currently exists in our country.
The impact of copyright legislation cannot be overstated, particularly when compared to the benefits gained within the Caribbean community and in the Western world. Many developed countries have already established significant legislation that protects intellectual property, and copyright, which has considerably spurred the growth of their respective entertainment industries.
The Minister — and by extension the Government of Guyana — must accept that, were we to establish astute copyright legislation, it would make the country more appealing to foreign investors, and would help boost the entertainment industry while contributing to the country’s economic development. In addition, the entertainment industry brings with it significant job opportunities that cannot be overstated.
With copyright legislation in place, local artists and writers in Guyana would develop their works and attract interest from both domestic and foreign investments, leading to more job opportunities for individuals and providing an increase in the country’s economic output. With more jobs, our people would have the purchasing power that fuels further growth of the economy, which would increase the country’s overall economic position and present our artists and country on a global stage.
Again, I say copyright legislation in Guyana is essential, and very necessary for the protection of our people’s intellectual property rights, particularly for artists and writers. The entertainment industry is an untapped resource in our country with considerable potential for growth, and copyright legislation would help to ensure its development.
The time has come — and that time is now — when the Government must enact sturdy copyright legislation that promotes the interests of artists, writers, investors, and the growth of the entertainment industry, thereby contributing to the country’s economic growth in the very near future. The Minister with responsibility for Culture, Youth and Sport needs to begin looking beyond ground enhancement and balls’ distribution, and supporting social events dubbed “Baderation” and “Stink and Dutty”, which connote a negative in the minds and behaviours of some impressionable youths, and do something.
Do something that would transform the lives of thousands of people, especially our youths, in a positive and productive way! It’s time to enact copyright legislation.
Yours respectfully,
Hon. Jermaine
Figueira, MP
