Sénégal: Abdoul Aziz Dieng Demands Action on Private Copying Remuneration

• The private copying remuneration mechanism (RCP) has been stalled in Senegal since 2008.
• Abdoul Aziz Dieng estimates that the lack of application of RCP has deprived artists, authors, and producers of several billion CFA francs over the years.
• The potential implementation of RCP could generate significant revenue for creators and provide a long-overdue right for Senegal's artists, authors, and producers.

According to Dieng, the application of a 2.5% levy on smartphones alone could have generated approximately 2 billion CFA francs per year.

The implementation of the private copying remuneration mechanism (RCP) in Senegal remains stalled, despite being provided for by legislation since 2008. Abdoul Aziz Dieng, president of the Private Copying Commission, expressed his frustration with the situation in an interview published on August 14, 2026, by the Senegalese Press Agency (APS). According to Dieng, the RCP is a significant source of revenue for creators in Africa, representing between 50 and 70% of collective management organizations' resources. The lack of application of this mechanism in Senegal has resulted in artists, authors, and producers being deprived of several billion CFA francs over the years.

The RCP is a long-overdue right for Senegal's creators. The legislation providing for its implementation was adopted in Council of Ministers in approximately two years ago. However, the necessary text to put the mechanism into effect has yet to be signed. Abdoul Aziz Dieng notes that the minister of Culture, Handicrafts and Tourism, Alpha Thiam, has taken steps to accelerate the process by bringing together his cabinet and key stakeholders. Nevertheless, Dieng emphasizes the need for institutional coherence in order to move forward.

The potential implementation of the RCP mechanism in Senegal could generate significant revenue for creators and provide a long-overdue right for Sénégal's artists, authors, and producers. According to Dieng, the application of a 2.5% levy on smartphones alone could have generated approximately 2 billion CFA francs per year. The cumulative loss since 2008 is estimated in tens of billions of CFA francs. It remains to be seen whether this situation will soon change, as efforts are being made to accelerate the implementation process.

Lawyers should watch for the potential implementation of the remuneration for private copying mechanism in Senegal, which could generate significant revenue for creators and provide a long-overdue right for Sénégal's artists, authors, and producers.

Source: Original reporting via SenePlus