MTN Rwanda to begin caller tune royalty payments

The development comes after the telco signed an agreement with the Rwanda Society of Authors (RSAU) on 24 June. The agreement makes it mandatory for MTN Rwanda to pay royalties to the owners of copyrighted works.

"As a telecommunications company, it is our responsibility to support and improve opportunities with talented artists as well as empower them to be better," MTN Rwanda's Teta Mpyisi said.

RSAU CEO Charles Kwitonda said the agreement came at a good time because the money collected would provide support for out-of-work musicians during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Artists have been hit hard as most of them were earning mostly from premises like bars and concerts. It is only fair that companies support them in these difficult times," Kwitonda said.

Gospel musician Clementine Uwitonze, who was present at the signing of the agreement on behalf of artists, welcomed the development and said the agreement would help other creatives and copyright holders, as well as the general public, understand the benefits of intellectual property (IP) law.

"People are not aware of how royalty for the artists works," The New Times quoted her as saying. "With the partnership, every artist with a song will be able to send it to MTN to be played, and their royalties will be paid.

"Our sector is growing, but artists have been getting private partnerships with companies, and some artists are left out. With this step, all artists will get to benefit from their music in terms of monetisation but also promoting their songs."

RSUA was established by Rwandan artists in 2010 to protect their intellectual property rights. However, the implementation of IP law in the country has experienced a number of challenges due to a lack of a proper system.