Treatment of Kenya’s Internet Service Providers (ISPs) under the Kenya Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2017

Abstract

Kenya’s Copyright (Amendment) Bill, 2017, is nearing its final stage of consideration by Parliament. In this article, we provide a review of the Bill’s provisions in respect of its treatment of internet intermediaries, specifically internet service providers (ISPs). We seek to establish the impact that the intermediary liability provisions in the Bill could have on ISPs’ operations if the Bill is passed into law in its present form. We applaud the Bill’s provision for a “safe harbours” regime, whereby ISPs would incur no liability, or limited liability, for certain specific intermediary actions. However, we also note that the framing of the Bill’s notice-and-takedown provisions would require quasi-judicial skills on the part of ISPs, which may not be appropriate. We conclude by providing recommendations for how legislators could address the weaknesses in the Bill’s treatment of ISPs.