MONROVIA – The Copyright Society of Liberia (COSOL) is the Secretariat within the Copyright Department of the Liberia Intellectual Property Office (LIPO)
By Samuel G. Dweh (Freelance Development Journalist), +23188661896/776583266; [email protected]/ [email protected]
COSOL is the Liberian Government’s arm for the protection and promotion of people’s creative works. Some of creative works are: books, Journals, Pamphlet, movie, music, photography, choreography, and scientific invention.
COSOL’s other functions include: the collection of royalties for the arbitrary use of creative contents by the electronic media and the adequate distribution of royalties to owners whose works are used.
The new Executive Director of COSOL is Mr. James Y. Draper.
He is former Executive Secretary of the Liberian National Commission for United Nations Education, Scientific & Cultural Organization (UNESCO); Assistant Minister for Tourism at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs & Tourism (MICAT); and Consultant on Intellectual Property at the Ministry of Commerce & Industry.
He was officially appointed as COSOL’s boss on the 22nd of April, 2024.
An Arts and Craft specialist, Mr. Draper replaces Attorney-at-Law Prince E. Decker who had served from 2019 to September, 2023.
On the 30th of April, 2024, the Deputy Director-General of the Copyright Department of Liberia Intellectual Office (LIPO), Hon. Clarence H. Cole of the Unity Party Government, convened a meeting for COSOL’s Staff. COSOL is a sub-branch of LIPO; the two share the same building (former Ministry of Labour), located on United Nations Drive, Monrovia. The meeting was held in the COSOL’s secretariat.
“Mr. Draper is now the new head of COSOL. Give him the needed respect on his new status,” Hon. Cole advised the gathering of heads of the COSOL’s Secretariat.
He encouraged the COSOL’s Staff to cooperate with COSOL’s new Executive Director, and warned against unnecessary propaganda against the new COSOL’s Boss; he threatened dismissal for any of the staffs who took sensitive information of COSOL to the public.
“Discuss COSOL’s issues in-house. If you spilled out COSOL’s sensitive information into the public domain, COSOL’s business partners won’t entrust you with their individual information,” Hon. Clarence H. Cole cautioned.
On resignation of any employee who has decided to detach himself or herself from COSOL on personal reason, the LIPO’s Deputy Director-General for Copyrigs said: “Resign honorably, instead of bringing COSOL to public disrepute by dishonorable attitude,” Hon. Cole vehemently advised.
The COSOL Executive Director made some contributions in the meeting convened by LIPO’s Deputy Director-Director of Copyright.
His speech was short. Be began by thanking LIPO’s Director-General and the Deputy Director-General of Copyright for the preferment.
“Upon my honor, I will do my best, not to only improve COSOL, but also LIPO. Thanks to everybody,” the COSOL’s Executive Director said.