Accra, April 21, GNA – Van Calebs, a popular Ghanaian event promoter, says Obrafour’s landmark suit against American rapper Drake will reshape issues of copyright in the Ghanaian music industry.
The Ghanaian rap legend is suing Drake for $10 million for sampling the remix “Oye Ohene” for his “Calling My Name” off the Honestly, Nevermind album.
Van Calebs said in a social media post that Obrafour’s suit against Drake would help educate Ghanaian musicians and other artistes about issues of copyright, something many don’t take seriously.
According to Van Calebs, issues of copyright infringement are very prevalent among many Ghanaian artistes as they failed to follow permitted procedures when using another person’s work.
He noted that even in the event production field, people’s event ideas, which they spend months coming up with, are usually picked up by others without recourse to the originator of the concept.
Van Calebs was confident that regardless of the outcome of the Obrafour-Drake legal suit, people would learn to appreciate the works of others.
He reckons the case would be a game changer in the Ghanaian creative sector, particularly in terms of how issues of copyrighting are dealt with.
“I’m really happy my good friend Obrafour has taken this bold step. As an event organiser and cultural dance instructor, I’ve had my concepts and ideas stolen by people.
“This is a landmark case that would change the face of entertainment in the country, and I am glad Obrafour has taken this bold step. Hopefully, Ghanaian creatives would learn from this for the betterment of the industry,” he said.
GNA