By Rahim Abdul
The Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) has announced that it does not register or distribute royalties for creative works produced using Artificial Intelligence (AI), citing limitations within the country’s current copyright framework.
In a statement released by the organization, COSOMA explained that the Copyright Act of 2016 does not cover AI-generated content because the law was enacted before artificial intelligence became widely used in creative industries.
The society said that, as things stand, works created entirely through AI technologies are not eligible for copyright registration or royalty collection under its mandate.
COSOMA further warned artists, content creators, and the general public that only works that qualify for copyright protection under existing laws can be registered and managed by the organization.
According to the society, creators should be aware that AI-generated content currently falls outside the scope of the copyright system administered by COSOMA.
The organization emphasized that copyright protection is intended to reward and encourage human creativity, innovation, and intellectual effort.
It added that the primary purpose of copyright law is to safeguard original works created by individuals, ensuring that creators benefit from their artistic and intellectual contributions.
COSOMA’s position comes at a time when the use of AI tools in music, writing, graphic design, and other creative fields is rapidly growing across the world.
The development raises important questions about how Malawi’s legal framework will respond to emerging technologies and the increasing role of artificial intelligence in content creation.
For now, COSOMA maintains that only human-created works qualify for copyright protection and royalty administration under the current Copyright Act.
