By Isaac Arkoh
Cape Coast, Aug 23, GNA – CopyGhana, the Reprographic Rights Organization (RRO) of Ghana, has distributed more than GH₵15 million in royalties over the past decade to various rights holders.
In total, approximately 2,500 rights holders in the country and beyond have reaped the benefits of these royalties, significantly impacting their business endeavours.
Mr Joseph Baffour Gyamfi, the Executive Director of CopyGhana, highlighted that prominent beneficiaries include educators, the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) and the Ghana Union of Professional Photographers (GUPP), among others.
Speaking at a workshop in Cape Coast for stakeholders in the creative arts sector in the Central Region, he emphasised that many of the rights holders were scholars who contributed to knowledge through published non-fiction works.
Regrettably, he said, “Some universities and institutions were facing challenges in fulfilling their obligations to pay royalties.
“Innovative strategies are being explored to collect royalty fees from students.”
The workshop organised jointly by CopyGhana and the National Commission on Culture with collaborative support from other partners was aimed at equipping stakeholders with the necessary tools to ensure individuals benefited from the fruits of their intellectual labour.
Established in 2011, he said CopyGhana had cultivated a formidable reputation and extensive networks over the years.
He underscored the significance of copyright protection for visual artists and creatives, emphasising that it offered legal safeguards for their original works.
This, he noted, enabled owners of intellectual property to maintain authority over the utilisation and monetisation of their creations.
He said Copyright protection encompassed a wide array of artistic expressions, such as paintings, photographs, and sculptures, from the point of their fixation in a tangible form.
It empowers artists to reproduce, distribute, and publicly exhibit their works, while also granting them the ability to seek legal redress against unauthorized usage.
Furthermore, copyright serves as a catalyst for creativity by motivating artists to generate new works without apprehension of infringement.
Mr Asare Konadu Yamoah, Chairman of the Board of CopyGhana, reaffirmed the organisation’s dedication to licensing educational institutions and entities.
He urged research institutions, universities, and the business community to leverage the National Intellectual Property Policy to shield their respective designs, innovations, and products.
This proactive measure, he elaborated, will ensure optimal benefits, including royalties, from their creative endeavours, propelling the nation’s economic advancement.
Mr. Nathan Amoah, a fervent supporter of the Creative Arts, urged proprietors of intellectual property to vigilantly safeguard their rights to enhance their circumstances and prospects.
GNA