Taskforce calls for copyright courts to protect creative industry
Togbe Edinam Ansah, the Volta Regional Secretary of the Copyright Taskforce, on Thursday called for the establishment of copyright courts in the country.
He said that was the only way to protect the creative industry in the country and reduce unemployment.
Togbe Ansah was speaking to the GNA on the sidelines of a two-day workshop on copyright and related rights for personnel of the Ghana Police Service and Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA) in the Volta Region in Ho.
The workshop, under the auspices of the Ministry of Justice and the Copyright Office, was on the theme “The Copyright Office, the Police and Customs-Partners in the Fight against Piracy.”
Togbe Ansah said though the country had good copyright laws, the courts were not demonstrating enough commitment to prosecuting offenders.
He said that situation was frustrating members of copyright taskforces and police personnel, creating the impression the laws were not working.
“What is happening is very discouraging and is killing our interest in the fight against piracy. That is why these days you see a lot of people doing whatever they like but you don’t have much to do,” Togbe Ansah lamented.
He expressed the hope that courts, purposefully established for copyright issues, would make the country win the fight against piracy.
Dr. Benjamin Kumbour, the Attorney General and Minister for Justice, said in a speech read on his behalf the ineffective enforcement of the laws by police and custom personnel were because they were not conversant with provisions in the Copyright Act and the Legislative Instrument to the Act.
He said the government remained committed to establishing a sound base for the administration of Intellectual Property Rights in the country as part of measures to improve the business environment.
Dr. Kumbour said in line with that, the Ministry of Justice would continually assist the Copyright Office to enforce the Copyright Act to encourage investors and creators to derive maximum benefits from their creativity and innovations.
He said while there was the need to promote effective protection and enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights, care must be taken it did not constitute barrier to legitimate trade or stifle international transfer of technological goods into and out of the country.
Mr Henry Ford Kamel, the Volta Regional Minister, said in a speech read on his behalf that it was unfortunate that many people tend to ignore copyright issues and urged the media to educate the public on it.
Ms Yaa Attafua, Acting Copyright Administrator, said the workshop, third in series, was to build the capacity of police and custom personnel to play their roles effectively in the fight against piracy.
Source: GNA