George Bosompem, Public Relations Officer of the Ghana Academy of Film and Television Arts (GAFTA), has called on the National Communications Authority (NCA) to factor in copyright violations when evaluating television stations’ applications for licence renewals.
Speaking in an interview, Bosompem expressed concern over the unauthorised broadcasting of Ghanaian and Nigerian movies by some TV stations.
He emphasised that such practices undermine the creative industry and infringe upon the rights of content creators.
“The NCA should use copyright violations as a basis when TV stations apply to renew their licences, especially those airing Nigerian and Ghanaian movies without consent. People will be afraid to lose their licence if they realise that showing copyrighted content on their channels can have serious consequences,” he stated.
Bosompem further highlighted that the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690) established a Copyright Tribunal intended to adjudicate copyright disputes and enforce compliance.
However, he noted that the tribunal has not been operational since its inception, leaving a gap in the enforcement of copyright laws.
“The tribunal was supposed to be set up for such matters in 2005, but it never materialised,” he remarked.
He urged stakeholders in the creative arts sector to advocate for the activation of the Copyright Tribunal and for the NCA to take a more proactive role in enforcing copyright compliance.
Such measures, he believes, would protect the rights of content creators and ensure the sustainability of the creative industry.
