By Precious D. Freeman
A new Union under the banner “Liberia Transfer Union” (LITU) has been established in Liberia to fight against piracy to protect and promote individual talents through advocacies and create platform for the expression of their talents, career and profession.
LITU’s vision is to inspire for better Liberia with its goals to regulate every one that involves in the transferring of entertainment in Liberia and to also encourage all Liberians to prioritize their entertainment formed at the time when the issue of piracy has claimed the concern of people in the entertainment industry.
According to the President of LITU, Patrick Ville, LITU is seeking partnership with the Copyright Society of Liberia (COSOL) in order for both organizations to work in the interest of actors in the entertainment industry saying that the Union is willing to take full responsibility of importing and selling of empty CDs, DVDs, Memory cards, Pen drive in order to reduce the high level of piracy that is prevalent in the country.
He disclosed that the Union will work closely with all entertainers, both national and international partners in making sure that the “Liberian Got Talent” be effective and efficient because all individuals need to benefit from his or her inner gift like actors, actresses, comedians, musicians, DJ’s and Poet Writers among others.
Responding, the COSOL Deputy Director General for Copyright, Clifford B. Robinson Jr. welcomed the formation of the new organization and promised to work along with them because their functions are geared towards reducing and or eradicating piracy that is denied actors and actresses and others in the entertainment industry of the just benefits.
Mr. Robinson encouraged LITU to register their union so that the organization will have legal access when it comes to monitoring the use of their creative works, as well as provide legal guidance and train them on how to provide their creative works, saying, “We will protect your works internationally and enforce on your behalf.”
“Liberia does not have an open market system and it really affects them a lot because when any problem sparks up there will be no one there to protect them,” he lamented.
He further stated that very soon, they will be conducting workshops in order for them to get educated into the system and know how to protect the actors as it relates to the issues of copyright.