The management of the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO), in collaboration with the monitoring team of the Copy Right Office, has warned that it will take legal action against music users who fail to obtain a copyright license before using music for their activities.
According to GHAMRO, Section 36 of the Copyright Regulations LI 1962 of 2010 requires any person who intends to use any musical work or cause the work to be performed in public to apply for a copyright license in o to do so.
The organization pointed out that failure to obtain a license means that the right owners are being deprived of their daily bread, adding that it will not hesitate to apply the law against users “whose lack of respect for intellectual property continues to impoverish creators”.
GHAMRO stated that copyright laws protect owners of works by granting them exclusive rights and ensuring payment when their creations are used. Key among them is the public performance right, a major source of revenue for creators, according to GHAMRO.
The organization, however, warned that it will not spare any music user who refuses to obtain a license before using musical works without authorization.
“The Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO) wishes to notify all users, including broadcasting stations, hotels, banks, restaurants, night clubs, spinning groups, live music, entertainment venues, stores, shopping malls, drinking spots, chop bars, commercial vehicles (buses, taxis, and trotro, etc.) to take note and ensure compliance.
“The license granted is to be displayed at an open place within the working areas or premises for inspection by a team composed of the copyright monitoring, GHAMRO task force, and the security agencies in line with Section 29 of the law. Owners and proprietors are to note that failure to comply with the law is an offense with liability on summary conviction to a fine or a term of imprisonment or both”.
GHAMRO
GHAMRO Revamps Operations
This initiative that GHAMRO is taking doesn’t come as a surprise since the organization earlier announced that it is revamping its royalty collection system.
In September 2021, GHAMRO announced new measures to aid in its royalty collections. Rex Omar revealed that his outfit had signed a deal with a new digital royalty collection body, Capasso. According to him, Capasso collects the digital royalties for artists and right owners as part of GHAMRO’s efforts to digitalize its operations to enable creators earn their due from their works.
Rex Omar, who was recently re-elected as the Board Chairman of the organization, in an earlier interview noted that GHAMRO is working hard to become one of the best Collective rights Management Organizations (CMOs) in West Africa.
“We are not doing bad at all but we still have a lot of work to do,” Rex Omar remarked.
Speaking of the newly elected board for GHAMRO, it is worth noting that the seven-member board were sworn into office by a High Court Judge, Her lordship Justice Hafisata Amaleboba, on March 23, 2022, at the GHAMRO Board Room for the commencement of their four (4) years term which will end in 2026.
The seven-member board includes; Rex Owusu Marfo, Francis Omare Adofo, Elizabeth Tagoe, Diana Hopeson, Kofi Abraham, Yaw Agyemang-Badu, and Francis Boahene.
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