Man sentenced to 2 yrs in jail for piracy

A local gospel musician, Clive Barangiro, has welcomed the arrest and imprisonment of a man who impersonated him and pirated his CD album, Mimhanzi Hyms Volume 1 to 3.

Barangiro said the sentencing of Solomon Mbadzo to two years in prison will send a strong message to would-be perpetrators that music piracy is a serious offence.

Barangiro commended the police for doing a splendid job, but noted that music pirates are coming up with more sophisticated means of impersonating musicians.

"I am happy that these guys were arrested and sentenced, but more should be done because we are still suffering as some of these people are coming up with more sophisticated ways of pirating music," he said.

One year was however suspended for five years on condition that Mbadzo does not commit a similar crime within five years.

Mbadzo was arrested on Wednesday last week and hauled before the courts for impersonating Barangiro and pirating his works.

He pleaded guilty to the charges of piracy and of committing wilful copyright infringement after admitting to changing the title of Barangiro's CD album, Mimhanzi Hyms Volume I to 3 and renaming it University of Zimbabwe AFM On Campus.

Mbadzo also posed as a front man for what he called the New Generation Choir.

This is the second time a music pirate has been jailed in Zimbabwe.

According to a research conducted by the Business Software Alliance, Zimbabwe has the second worst rate of illegal internet downloads.