The Moroccan Copyright and Neighboring Rights Bureau has issued a statement clarifying its mandate and the legal foundation for collecting royalties from establishments exploiting protected works. The announcement addresses circulating misinformation regarding the legal basis for charges imposed on businesses broadcasting or using artistic content.
The office emphasized that Article 2 of Law 25-19, adopted in 2022, explicitly grants authority to collect, distribute, and protect authors’ rights and neighboring rights holders. Article 60 of Law 2-00, modified by Law 66-19, reinforces this framework by stipulating that any public communication through television, radio, projection, or other means requires authorization and compensation.
Royalties applied to hotels, cafes, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, festivals, supermarkets, and entertainment venues rely on fee schedules published in the Official Bulletin on April 14, 2014. Broadcasting music, audiovisual works, or artistic performances legally constitutes public communication, creating compensation rights. The bureau stressed these amounts represent neither taxes nor fines but legal rights paid to creators and rights holders.
The cultural sector’s economic dimension deserves attention, as recent data show significant ecosystem evolution. According to official Tourism Ministry figures published late 2023, handicrafts now represent seven percent of national GDP, combining cultural production, traditional expertise, and labor-intensive economic activities.
A 2025 report highlighted by Diptyk magazine revealed notable growth in cultural and creative industries entrepreneurship. Between 2019 and 2024, companies operating in this sector increased approximately 33 percent, while declared employees rose roughly 20 percent. The sector demonstrates strong inclusion, with nearly 50 percent of positions occupied by women.
The bureau’s clarification arrives as economic models for books, music, audiovisual content, and arts evolve under digital influence and increased social demand for equitable creator compensation, revealing structural challenges ensuring coherence between growing cultural industries and regulatory frameworks still adapting.
