Open Access Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington
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Reggaenomics: The Relationship Between Copyright Law and Development in the Jamaican Music Industry

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posted on 2021-11-13, 12:52 authored by Taylor, Sharma Latoya

One argument posits that copyright is necessary for incentivising creative expressions. To what extent does this hold true for individual copyright-based sectors in a developing nation’s economy? Although Jamaica’s Copyright Act 1993 complies with the major copyright treaties, little is known about whether (and how) the copyright regime allows the Jamaican music industry to foster national development.  Accordingly, the focus of this thesis is to examine the developmental impact of the copyright system on the Jamaican music industry. This thesis traces the evolution of the local music industry and its complex interaction with copyright law. This research assesses the various approaches to economic development and highlights the limitations of a collective management-based approach and weaknesses in the individual rights management model. It also analyses the compatibility between a human development approach to copyright and the theoretical justifications for copyright. It points out substantive areas of the domestic copyright legislation that could be reformed in order to improve the statute’s applicability to the music industry insofar as development is concerned.  This thesis adopts a qualitative methodological approach and uses interviews from 57 music industry participants. The findings suggest that societal context is as important as the legal rights, in giving copyright owners incentives to create. Historical, political, socio-cultural, economic and institutional factors play a key role in shaping stakeholders’ treatment of copyright. Music industry players’ experiences can help inform policymaking by fostering a better understanding of the implications of copyright protection for this vital sector of the economy.

History

Copyright Date

2013-01-01

Date of Award

2013-01-01

Publisher

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Rights License

Author Retains Copyright

Degree Discipline

Law

Degree Grantor

Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

Degree Level

Doctoral

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

ANZSRC Type Of Activity code

970118 Expanding Knowledge in Law and Legal Studies

Victoria University of Wellington Item Type

Awarded Doctoral Thesis

Language

en_NZ

Victoria University of Wellington School

School of Law

Advisors

Corbett, Susan; Frankel, Susy