SECTION: 2.44 AGENCY CREATED There is hereby created and established in the Executive Branch of Government an autonomous non-profit agency which shall be responsible for Copyright under the name and style, THE LIBERIA COPYRIGHT OFFICE; and shall be headed by a Director General. OBJECTIVES: The objectives of the Copyright Office shall be: (i) To ensure the representation and defence of the economic, moral and other legitimate interests of authors of literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works who are nationals or residents of Liberia or their successors in Title, within the country and abroad; (ii) To implement the provisions of Title 24 of the Liberian Code of laws revised entitled Patent, Copyright and Trademark Laws; as well as effectively manage the affairs of the Copyright Office; (iii) To contribute to the promotion of national creativity by all appropriate means that are within its terms of reference. FUNCTIONS: The functions of the Copyright Office shall include: (i) Encouraging the establishment of National Collective Societies to protect authors, performers and producers, and shall supervise the activities of said collective societies, ensuring that the rights of authors and producers in respect of contracts and public performances are protected. In addition, the Copyright Office shall liaise with the collective societies in respect of their rights to broadcasting communication to the public by wire or wireless, graphic or mechanical reproduction, translation, adaptation and any form of use of the protected works of nationals or residents of Liberia; setting standard for the organization of collective societies to do business in Liberia and protecting contracts between copyright owners and users of their works. (ii) Formulating policies to empower the collective societies to enforce the rights of authors; such policies shall assure the representation of members and ensure accountability to members of said collective societies. (iii) Receiving and recording statements serving to identify the works and their authors or successors in title; (iv) Regulating fees to be collected by collective societies from users of their works; (v) Ensuring the distribution of said fees among the authors or successors in title concerned; (vi) Ensuring that the conditions laid down for the grant of compulsory licenses are complied with and respected, through intervention prior to such a grant (where national legislation provides for such licenses); (vii) Safeguarding and asserting rights relating to the use of the folklore heritage of Liberia where those rights are protected by copyright; 42