Yes, I agree. My knowledge of the Copyright Act, 2001 Cap 12 of the Laws of Kenya is very very minimal. For lack of anything better to do, I set out to change that. Here are my findings.

My objective: How can I successfully argue in a court of law that 5000 songs in my laptop constitutes fair use, even if i don't have any evidence whatsoever to proof that I actually acquired those songs legally.

Source: The Copyright Act, 2001

Infringement
Section 35 1b states:
"Copyright shall be infringed by a person who, without the licence of the owner of the copyright- ... imports, or causes to be imported, otherwise than for his private and domestic use, an article which he knows to be an infringing copy."

Under this, I can thus plead the music was for my own private and domestic use.

I also checked the repealed act. The Copyright (Repealed) Act This act makes it explicit that making a fair copy is allowed, under Nature of copyright in sound recording.
"(3) Subject to the subsections (4) and (5), the rights of an owner of a copyright in a sound recording are not infringed by the making of a single copy of the recording for the personal and private use of the person making the copy; and in respect of such use the owner of copyright in the sound recording shall have the right to receive fair compensation consisting of a royalty levied on audio recording equipment or audio blank tape suitable for recording and other media intended for recording, payable at the point of first sale in Kenya by the manufacturer or importer for commercial purposes of such equipment or media."

However, under the same section, it says:
"(6) Any person who, for commercial purposes, makes available any audio recording equipment for the purposes of
enabling any other person to make single copies of any sound recording for his personal or private use, without payment of the royalty levied under subsection (3) shall be guilty of an offence."

This part 6 caught my eye; If I sell a laptop with 5000 songs, will I be guilty of an offence because:
1. A laptop can be an audio recording equipment
2. The buyer can just as easily make copies

Are there any learned friends in the house who can shed light on this?



2009/5/11 Theus Owicho <owichot@gmail.com>
Peter

Noobody should mistreat you for being ignorant. Kenya copyright laws in regards to music allows you to have a single copy of any song for listening and its considered legal. I dont know why people argue always from the point of ignorance. try the KenyaLaw.org

Always argue wheen you understand the law. And let no one arrest you because you are ignorant.

2009/5/11 Peter Karunyu <pkarunyu@gmail.com>
In this day and age of M$ and MCSK being so vigilant, at least in this side of Nairobi I am on, its just common sense to "know" how legal I am. This "knowing" will probably not change anything, except that, should it happen that I meet anyone one of the two M$, then I will know which defenses to adopt, i.e:
1. "Listen mister M$, I have the original CDs for all these songs and softwares at home, I dare you to harass me!" or
2. "Pole sana afande, kuja tuongee kando"

Get my point?


2009/5/11 Alvin Jason Ochieng <ajochola@gmail.com>
Good qs...!!!

2009/5/11 Peter Karunyu <pkarunyu@gmail.com>:
> And the 5000 "Hits of unique mix", are they legal too? Ama MCSK will bust me
> soon after?
>
> 2009/5/11 Alvin Jason Ochieng <ajochola@gmail.com>
>>
>> Please confirm if legal as the software itself should be more costly
>> than the laptop!!!
>>
>> On Mon, May 11, 2009 at 8:17 AM, Josiah Mugambi <jmugambi@gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>> > Is the software installed legal :)
>> > (I seem to remember a Adobe representative on the list)
>> >
>> > On Sun, May 10, 2009 at 12:51 PM, Theus Owicho <owichot@gmail.com>
>> > wrote:
>> >>
>> >> HP Pavillion Dv 6000
>> >> Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.0 Ghz)
>> >> Windows Vista
>> >> Nvidia GeForce 8400M
>> >> 2Gb RAM
>> >> 120GB HDD
>> >> WEB CAM
>> >> WI-FI / BLUETOOTH
>> >> DVD WRITER
>> >> 5 - IN - 1 CARD READER, FIREWIRE
>> >> Anti Scratch Back Sticker
>> >> Free Lock for your Laptop
>> >> With close to 5,000 Mix of unique Hits
>> >>
>> >> Coming with Webmaster Software like Dreamweaver CS3, Photoshop CS3,
>> >> Twitterdeck, IE 8, Filezilla, WammpServer, Itunes 8.1.1.10, Adobe
>> >> Acrobat 8
>> >> Professional,
>> >>
>> >> KSH 45,000 (NOT NEGOTIABLE PLIZ)
>> >>
>> >> Executive Targus Free Spirit Bag - Ksh 5,000
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> _______________________________________________
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>> >>
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > --
>> > Josiah Mugambi
>> > +254 738 504418
>> >
>> > http://blog.josiahmugambi.com
>> >
>> > SK Classifeds... Visit stockskenya.co.ke for more info.
>> >
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>> >
>> >
>>
>>
>>
>> --
>>
>>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Alvin Ochieng  -   Corporate Account Manager
>> GREENLINE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED| IT solutions
>> Odyssey Plaza 2nd Floor| Mukoma Road | Box 61895-00200 Nairobi.
>> |+254.20. 651755 / 552086 Fax +254.20-559841.
>> **Wireless - 020-2405225 / 020 - 2429734 **
>> CellPhone - 0722-219938 / 0733610758
>> ??  Help save paper - do you need to print this email?
>>
>> _______________________________________________
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>>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> kazi - http://lists.my.co.ke/cgi-bin/mailman/admin/kazi/general
>
>



--



Regards,
Alvin Ochieng  -   Corporate Account Manager
GREENLINE TECHNOLOGY LIMITED| IT solutions
Odyssey Plaza 2nd Floor| Mukoma Road | Box 61895-00200 Nairobi.
|+254.20. 651755 / 552086 Fax +254.20-559841.
**Wireless - 020-2405225 / 020 - 2429734 **
CellPhone - 0722-219938 / 0733610758
??  Help save paper - do you need to print this email?

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