The hologram: a blessing or a curse?

MMegi Online publishes an insight into Botswana's use of holograms to dissuade pirates from ripping off local musicians claiming too that Botswana's copyright laws are more advanced than their neighbours South Africa. The article entitled Hiccups, but hologram helps anti-piracy campaign looks at the practical difficulties of adopting the hologram which include cost (the holograms are sold to artists) and the fact that musicians need to travel to Gaborone obtain the device. However, the device is hailed too, as an effective anti-piracy tool.

Apparently, "Kenya will be introducing the hologram this year following the review of their copyright law. Other countries such as Zambia, Ghana, Nigeria and Malawi are already using the hologram" and " South Africa's copyright law is old and like most laws it does not have the provision for the use of the hologram."

This blogger suggests that the requirement to purchase holograms is important from a communication and branding point of point of view; it sends a message that the work is authentic carrying the attitude that authenticity is value and that copying is wrong. Holograms themselves are capable of being copied and so this blogger feels that the device per se will not truly address the problem.