What Jamaican Writers need to know about their rights and Jamcopy

By: Denise N. Fyffe.
Copyright © 2013, Denise N. Fyffe

If you are a Jamaican writer and you do not know about Jamcopy, then you are at a serious disadvantage. Jamcopy is the organization which looks out for the interest of every registered Jamaican writer. They have been climbing to new heights and achieving their goals as it relates to managing the reproduction rights of creators and publishers whose works are published in print.

So, what is Jamcopy all about?

JAMCOPY, the Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency, is the national rights management organization in the text and image sphere. Constituted as non-profit entity under Jamaican Law and in accordance with the Jamaica Copyright Act of 1993, JAMCOPY was established to manage the reproduction rights of creators and publishers whose works are published in print. We work to protect and facilitate seamless access to copyright content – from academic works, through newspaper articles, novels and sheet music, to photographs and illustrations, in particular for large scale copying of works including digital uses.

Through our intervention, creators and publishers are enabled to meet the needs of their users (government, libraries, universities, colleges, schools, businesses, etc.) in a constantly changing environment, by means of a flexible, efficient and convenient mechanism, within the framework of copyright law. In so doing, JAMCOPY encourages ongoing creation of new works, promotes respect for the rights of those that bring this material to the public, and fosters a viable and efficient marketplace for intellectual property.

JAMCOPY, the Jamaican Copyright Licensing Agency, is a collective management organization and Jamaica’s national Reproduction Rights Organisation (RRO). It was set up by creators and publishers of materials published in printed form, to manage their reproduction rights. The Jamaica Copyright Act 1993 gives all creators sole and exclusive right to publish and reproduce their work in any form.

Through its licences, JAMCOPY provides a centralised, easy and affordable mechanism through which users have access to, and can legally reproduce extracts of, copyright material published in print – books, periodicals and journals. The proceeds from the licence are distributed to copyright holders after deduction of administration costs.

JAMCOPY is full member of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO). (IFRRO), an international network of RROs and associated organizations. JAMCOPY is also a founding partner in the Jamaica Anti-Piracy Alliance. (More on their website …)