The Kenya Copyright Board (KECOBO) has directed all Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) to apply for licences before September 18.
In a notice, KECOBO urged all organisations seeking recognition as CMOs to do so through the eCitizen platform or through a hard copy mailed to its headquarters.
"The time limit for registration as Collective Management Organisations (CMOs) is September 18, 2025, at 05.00pm," the statement read in part.
"Eligible entities are reminded to submit their applications to secure effective representation of creatives in the administration and distribution of royalties."
CMOs are organisations that typically manage the rights of copyright and related rights on behalf of their members, mostly creators in the entertainment industry.
They also act as an intermediary between rights holders, mainly content creators and artistes, and users of copyrighted works.
Most importantly, these CMOs collect licence fees and royalties from the users of copyrighted content and the revenue is then managed before it is distributed to the appropriate rights holders.
This directive comes just a few months after KECOBO cautioned Kenyans against remitting royalties to the Music Copyright Society of Kenya (MSCK), as it no longer had the authority to collect the funds.
KECOBO warned that the High Court had declined an application by MCSK to continue collecting royalties on behalf of its members.
"Following the court ruling, the Kenya Copyright Board wishes to inform the general public and all music users that MCSK does not have authority to collect royalties as a Collective Management Organisation (CMO)," KECOBO declared.
"MCSK is further directed to forthwith cease from presenting itself to the public and music users as a licensed CMO. The Board is pursuing other matters pending before the courts relating to the licensing of CMOs and shall inform the public upon determination," it added.
KECOBO further cautioned Kenyans against paying royalties to the Performing and Audio Visual Rights Society of Kenya (PAVRISK), as the latter’s licence was revoked in 2024.
