Copyright in Mali: what the 2026 ordinance changes for artists, bars and shops
Ordinance no. 2026-015 of 10 April 2026 replaces the 2017 law on literary and artistic property: protection for 70 years after death, machine-generated works excluded, 5% private copy levy, music fees for Bamako bars, restaurants and buses, infringement punishable by 5 years in prison.
Bamako is a capital of music, film, photography and publishing. The rules protecting this work have changed: ordinance no. 2026-015/PT-RM of 10 April 2026, published in the Official Journal of 17 April 2026, sets a new regime for literary and artistic property and repeals law no. 2017-012 of 1 June 2017 (article 214). It transposes the WAEMU (UEMOA) directives on copyright, related rights and private copying.
Key points (checked on 18 October 2026)
- Copyright arises from the act of creation alone, with no filing or formality (article 5).
- Protection for the author's life plus 70 years (article 60); 70 years too for performers and producers (article 109).
- A work produced exclusively by an automated system is not protected (article 14).
- Private copying: 5% levy on imported or locally made recording media and devices (article 129).
- Music in a bar in the District of Bamako: 10,000 to 16,000 FCFA a month depending on capacity (annex 2).
- Infringement: 5 years' imprisonment and a 15 million FCFA fine (article 176).
What is protected
The ordinance protects every original work of the mind (article 10), including derivative works (adaptations, arrangements) and expressions of folklore (article 9). It does not protect official texts or mere ideas, procedures or methods (articles 12 and 13).
It also settles a new question: a work produced exclusively by an automated system is not a work of the mind (article 14). The author is the natural person who created the work (article 15); unless proven otherwise, it is the person under whose name the work is released (article 17).
Term of protection
| Right holder | Term (2026 ordinance) |
|---|---|
| Author | life plus 70 years from 1 January after death (article 60) |
| Audiovisual work | life of the last surviving co-author plus 70 years (article 61) |
| Anonymous or pseudonymous work | 70 years from publication (article 62) |
| Posthumous work | 70 years from release (article 63) |
| Performers, phonogram and videogram producers, broadcasters | 70 years from 1 January after the performance, fixation or broadcast (article 109) |
Moral rights are perpetual. After the author's death, they can be exercised by the heirs and by the national collective management organisation (article 70).
Folklore and paying public domain
Expressions of Malian folklore are protected. Using them commercially outside their traditional context requires prior authorisation from the national collective management organisation and payment of a fee; adaptations and arrangements must be declared to it (articles 203 and 204). The money goes to cultural and social programmes for Malian authors (article 205).
Mali also applies a paying public domain: using a public-domain work for profit still requires authorisation and a fee, at 5% of revenue, and 8% for the commercial use of monuments and buildings (articles 154, 208 and 209).
Among its references, the ordinance cites ordinance no. 00-042/P-RM of 21 September 2000 creating the Malian Copyright Office (BUMDA), the collective management organisation.
Private copying
Copying a work for private use is allowed, in return for a private copy remuneration (article 44). It is paid by manufacturers and importers of blank media, recording devices and remote storage services, at 5% of customs value on import, or of market value if made in Mali (articles 127 to 129). Customs collect it on behalf of the collective management organisation (article 132).
For music, the money is split 50% to authors, 25% to performers and 25% to producers (article 135); 35% of the total funds creation, live performance and training (article 134).
Music in places open to the public
Venues that play works pay a flat monthly fee (articles 156 to 169). Some rates set by the ordinance:
| Venue | Monthly fee |
|---|---|
| Bar or café in the District of Bamako, up to 30 seats | 10,000 FCFA |
| Bar or café in the District of Bamako, 31 to 100 seats | 12,500 FCFA |
| Bar or café in the District of Bamako, over 100 seats | 16,000 FCFA |
| Nightclub in the District of Bamako | 50,000 FCFA |
| Casino | 100,000 FCFA |
| Restaurant, tea room, pastry shop | 7,500 FCFA (10 seats), 10,000 FCFA (11 to 20), 12,500 FCFA (over 20) |
| Advertising vehicle with loudspeakers | 2,500 FCFA |
| Public transport coach, 21 to 35 seats | 1,000 FCFA (audio), 1,200 FCFA (audio-video) |
| Coach with over 35 seats | 1,500 FCFA (audio), 2,000 FCFA (audio-video) |
| Boat, during the river traffic season | 30,000 FCFA per boat |
| International airport | 100,000 FCFA |
Late payment adds 5% after one month, 10% between three and six months and 20% after six months, without prior notice (article 179). These fees come on top of the local tax on drinks outlets: see our page on local taxes in Bamako.
Infringement and penalties
- Infringement (copying, broadcasting, importing, adapting without permission): 5 years' imprisonment and a 15,000,000 FCFA fine (article 176). Circumventing technical protection measures carries the same penalties (article 177).
- Failure to pay the private copy levy, equitable remuneration or resale right: 500,000 FCFA fine (article 178).
- Agents of the collective management organisation, police, gendarmerie, customs and trade officers can seize illicit copies and revenue (article 186). The organisation can also send notices to internet access providers and online platforms (article 191).
Frequently asked questions
Do you need to register a song for it to be protected in Mali?
No: copyright arises from the act of creation alone (article 5). Joining the collective management organisation is how you collect royalties.
Is an AI-generated image or song protected?
Not if it is produced exclusively by an automated system: article 14 of the ordinance excludes it from works of the mind.
How much does a Bamako bar pay to play music?
10,000 to 16,000 FCFA a month depending on capacity, and 50,000 FCFA for a nightclub, according to the ordinance's annex.
How long does copyright last in Mali?
The author's whole life plus 70 years; moral rights are perpetual.
Official source (checked on 18 October 2026)
- Official Journal of the Republic of Mali no. 07 of 17 April 2026, ordinance no. 2026-015/PT-RM of 10 April 2026 on literary and artistic property (French), articles 5, 9 to 17, 44, 60 to 70, 109, 127 to 135, 154 to 169, 176 to 191, 203 to 214 and annexes 2 and 3.