Release Our Monies to Us – GHAMRO to Copyright Office

A board member of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), Ernest Kwasi Enim has expressed his displeasure on how piracy issues are being handled by the Copyright Office

He said the illegal replicating of intellectual properties of artistes have been on the rise, yet nothing has been done to stop these law breakers.

Speaking on Hitz FM, he called on the Acting Copyright Administrator,Ms Yaa Attafua to refund monies paid by GHAMRO to fight piracy themselves.

“For any revenue GHAMRO receives, Copyright Office takes not less than 3% to 6% of that money to fight piracy in Ghana. Most of these young men seen at their hideouts and in traffic reproduce our works and sell it so cheap and it baffles me why we continue to produce because it looks like fetching water into a basket, there is absolutely no protection anywhere.

“The authorities mandated to arrest these guys are sitting in their offices and doing nothing so I’m pleading with Aunty Yaa (Acting Copyright Administrator) to release our monies to us,” He said.

The board member who doubles as an artiste manager expressed the organizations readiness to fight piracy themselves without the help of the Authority.

According to him, with all the monies they pay, the Copyright Office have not been able to purchase vehicles to be used by the Task Force to efficiently help arrest these offenders.

He believes GHAMRO can fight the law breakers themselves if their funds are released to them.

Meanwhile, GHAMRO would join other sister societies and affiliates across the continent to celebrate the 1st ever African Copyright and Collective Management Day, on Friday, September 14, 2018.

The exercise is to enhance its legitimacy in the eyes of users but also improve compliance of copyright laws which they (CISAC) trust will translate into a fair and adequate remuneration to rights holders.

By: Emmanuel Yeboah Britwum