Enforcing Authors’ Rights in the Era of Digital Technologies: A Case of Cameroon

The enforcement of copyright, like every other proprietary right, is of great importance in every society. This is because it enables creators to reap the economic benefits of their works and, in turn, motivates them to create more. With the rise and emergence of new technologies and the internet, piracy has only become a prevalent problem that threatens the economic viability of creative industries, harms the reputation, integrity, and dignity of copyright owners, and discourages innovation worldwide. Piracy has caused significant issues for copyright owners by infringing upon their exclusive rights to distribute their works without permission while profiting from their creations. Due to the development of digital technology, it has become simpler for individuals to stealthily duplicate and distribute protected works. Piracy drastically decreases the number of legal sales of intellectual works, which costs a lot of money for authors, publishers, and other key stakeholders. This article examines the enforcement of authors' rights in the era of digital technologies from a Cameroonian perspective. The research finds that the long-lasting rule concerning copyright protection has been distorted by digital technology and the internet, which have defied the traditional Copyright Enforcement Mechanisms. Though the Cameroon 2000 Copyright adequately guarantees the protection of authors' rights, it is still fraught with so many lacunae and far from meeting the demands of this internet age with regard to enforcement. This article will help authors understands thier rights and also be alert against piracy. The research recommends, among others, the employment by right owners of some Digital Rights Management measures such as encryption and watermarking, and more legislative action to make room for efficient enforcement of their rights.