Ownership rights are the base of capitalism. The idea of property is what forms the incentive based system that capitalism thrives on-profit. It is from this income that a business man acquires things-property. In undercapitalized economies such as Kenya, the lack of capital is a symptom. The actual ailment is the property rights allocation systems or lack thereof. This is a complicated way of saying that in Africa you cannot be really sure beyond the legally defined ‘reasonable doubt’ that you own something. It is because of this single fact that anything which derives its economic value and claim on money solely on the existence of an ownership legal device such as a title deed, patent, copyright etc has no value in Africa. Africa has no property rights allocation system that capitalism can use.
Africa and the internet have one thing in common, in both places ownership rights are almost non-existent. In African jurisdictions copyrights are virtually void and unenforcable
And this brings us to the internet and all the information it has brought us. Essentially the internet opened up a whole world to African eyes. In a span of a decade since 2001 its influence on African culture is immense. All the fashion trends in the developed world are now a staple diet in African markets. The lifestyle choices of people in the western world, particularly the USA which is a mass exporter of culture through its behemoth entertainment industry, became legitimate life choices in Africa. Unofficial abortion numbers in Africa would stun many a development expert. The uptake of contraceptives particularly over the counter emergency pills has been significant. Sexual life choices such as homosexuality are here to stay in full view of a blushing African society. In a word we Africans were caught unawares like a deer in the headlights. The whiplash of all this is only just being felt by Africa’s societies continent wide.
The most visible product of culture is music. Each culture has its own. As the African culture which was also severely disrupted by colonialism in the early 20th century collided with the predominantly American exported culture via Youtube.com and google things started to happen. Urban educated African youths begun to own their identities and express themselves. And so it is we have now a budding African music industry complete with its MTVBase sponsored award ceremony. Yet amidst all the apparent newness of it glaring pieces of the picture are missing. The biggest of this is economic success.
Whilst African music labels are doing well considering the environment they are in their success pales in comparison to industry names such as Virgin in the 80’s, DefJam in the 90’s and YoungMoneyCMB (YMCMB) in the 00’s. Where are our moguls?
The culprit is our property rights system. The music business globally is reeling from the disruption the internet has brought to the enforcement of copyrights globally. Frequently on Youtube.com music videos are downloaded violating the copyright of the creators and bringing to question the very base of the business model that is the music industry. Technology through the internet is raising legitimate questions on the suitability of charging for music content. The new model is becoming an access-based model where live shows and packed stadiums are replacing RIAA platinum record sale dreams. Could this be the way for Africa as well?
It already is! Through the ringtone, ring-back-tune and various other media downloads available on African mobile phone networks music artists are getting their dues in markets where the culture of buying music with money is as alien as a McDonald’s fast food restaurant on Moi Avenue. This weak property rights allocation system in Kenya and most of Africa is being battered by the already pretty pervasive copyright violation mechanisms on the internet globally. Led be Eastern European tree- hugging-coders whose anti-capitalist views have birthed a vocal and defiant web community whose sole intent is making null and void the system on which the creative industry has come to rely on for business-copyrights.
Already today, 43% of internet traffic is attributed to the BitTorrent protocol with torrent files flying around the web as people exchange, FOR FREE, copy written creative works where music and movies form the bulk of traffic and software is a distant third place. Eastern Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa all share this weak property rights allocation system due to their non-capitalist government systems. Basically these places are where the two thirds of the people of the world live in, the global majority which pays for the opulence of the other one third. These people do not care about copyrights since even property rights in their own countries are continually violated as are human rights. They are anti-capitalism because capitalism has not found a way to involve them- a challenge for the African businessman.
And so it is that it is only through access that they participate albeit guardedly in capitalism’s content sale. Through ring-back tunes popular across most of Vodafone’s markets musicians local in fame and name are earning money for their work. In the meantime it is shows and endorsements from the few global brands that are in these markets such as Vodafone and Cocacola that they find the rest of their income. This is why an access based business will work.
The digital products business is really up for change since the demand for high quality American cultured movies, music and games will only increase across the globe. I suppose it is the Freedom that this culture preaches that we all want. After all who does not want big rims, big house and big a** women around him all day? Access is the new media business model, we are done paying for content, or are we?
