Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo has urged media to remain vigilant and join efforts to fight counterfeits, saying it poses a major threat to sustainability of media organisations.
He says fakes have invaded the media space, resulting into reduced earnings for content creators who go to great lengths to produce content for their audiences.
“The truth is that information dissemination has gone digital and given the nature of digital spaces, there is a major threat of counterfeiting information. This is a reality that the media cannot escape from. Media players therefore must reflect and come up with innovative ways to counter this for sustainability”, Mr Omwoyo said at the inaugural international symposium on intellectual property protection and enforcement organised by the Anti-Counterfeit Authority in Nairobi.
“Content producers go to great lengths to generate content but sadly are not the ultimate beneficiaries of their work. Digital content creators need to protect their works to get the money”.
He spoke about the impact of artificial intelligence on news dissemination, adding that AI has presented a serious challenge to content producers, some of whom have abused AI tools to promote counterfeiting.
“AI, just like any other innovation, has its pros and cons. AI makes it easier for content creators to share their works with consumers but the main challenge remains knowing how to keep counterfeiters away from the information value chain”, said Mr Omwoyo.
He called for deliberate campaign by the media to contribute towards creating awareness around counterfeits.
“The media has the power to shape public opinion, influence policy decisions and foster a culture of innovation and respect for intellectual property. By creating awareness of IP rights, the media can help to foster a culture of innovation and creativity, which can lead to the development of new products and services and in turn boosting economic growth”, said Mr Omwoyo.
The three-day meeting focused on various aspects of IP protection and enforcement, including emerging trends in counterfeiting, technological advancements in IP enforcement, legal frameworks and enforcement mechanisms, international cooperation and partnerships, and the role of stakeholders in combating counterfeiting.