Dr Smita Kheria, Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Edinburgh
CREATe’s Dr Smita Kheria was invited to provide an international perspective on collective rights management in a stakeholder forum, organised by the Kenya Copyright Board in Nairobi. The Kenya Copyright Board is holding several stakeholder forums with a view to establishing a workable a regulatory framework that promotes transparency, accountability and good governance among Kenyan Collective Management Organizations (CMOs).
Dr Kheria contributed to the first stakeholder forum held in Nairobi on 21 February 2017 which was attended by artist members of CMOs in Kenya, representatives of CMOs, as well as representatives of users who obtain licences from CMOS. Providing an overview of recent developments in collective rights management in the European Union and the adoption of Directive 2014/26/EU, Dr Kheria focused on the framework for governance of CMOs and the rights and roles of artist members and CMOs. She highlighted how relevant provisions have been implemented in the United Kingdom in 2016, and also commented on the draft regulations proposed by the Kenya Copyright board.
Dr Kheria is lead investigator on a CREATe workpackage on Creators’ organisations. She is also a member of SCRIPT Centre for IT and IP law at Edinburgh Law School.