This important instrument lays down, inter alia, the principle whereby “economic and social
development must have culture as its indispensable, permanent starting point and reference
point”.
The vast wellspring that is Mozambique’s cultural heritage can contribute to the development of
the country. The cultural policy and the law on the legal protection of tangible and intangible
goods belonging to the cultural heritage of Mozambique 5 have already set out the bases for
optimizing our cultural heritage.
Optimizing this area, however, will necessarily entail using the intellectual property system, in
particular copyright and related rights.
The intellectual property system delivers optimization and protection to culture, incentives to à
creativity among writers and performers, the strengthening and expansion of the collective
management system encompassing copyright and related rights and the optimization and
promotion of Mozambique’s cultural industry.
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In this context, intellectual property represents a tool for the implementation of the various
national, regional and international policies and strategies on cultural development.
Culture, like other sectors, suffers from the general lack of knowledge about intellectual property
and the role it can play in promoting national culture.
The strategic use of intellectual property in the sphere of music can ultimately lead to the
rewarding of musicians’ creative efforts, thereby contributing to the development of the music
industry. The fact is that recognition of copyright and/or the rights related to musicians is an
essential tool for enabling musicians to claim not just ownership, but also the exclusive right to
exploit these rights economically, so that musicians are paid a financial reward for the creative
effort they have made.
5
Law No. 10/88 of 22 December 1988.