Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The United States has called on African governments to strengthen intellectual property (IP) laws and enforcement, arguing that stronger copyright protection could help musicians, filmmakers and other creators earn significantly 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 has recorded double-digit growth for five consecutive years, but weak copyright systems, piracy and poor enforcement continue 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 allow them to own, protect and monetize their work.
Hiner said the U.S. 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 modernize copyright frameworks for the digital era.
She said the initiative aims to ensure that African creators can compete more effectively in the global creative economy by improving copyright administration and enforcement.
One of the biggest challenges facing African creators, Hiner noted, is the huge amount of revenue lost through 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 to include greater transparency in royalty collection systems, wider public education on intellectual property rights, and stronger enforcement against piracy.
Drawing on the U.S. experience, Hiner said sustained investment in intellectual property systems has produced substantial economic returns.
“IP-intensive industries contributed $11.4 trillion to the U.S. 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.
“Workers in copyright-intensive industries earn, on average, 130 percent more than workers in sectors that are not heavily dependent on intellectual property,” she revealed.
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 will be presented
