The Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) has organised a one day copyright workshop for selected members of the police, Copyright Monitoring Team and GHAMRO Enforcement Team.

The copyright workshop, which was held at the Miklin Hotel in Kumasi, was under the theme “Promotion and Protection of Copyright and Related rights”. 

The one day workshop was part of the series of measures adopted by the newly elected GHAMRO Board led by Rex Omar to ensure the enforcement of the Copyright Act and music piracy.

GHAMRO noted that workshop is essential because of the music piracy menace that has engulfed the country through illegal music downloads on pen drives, MP3 and other storage devices without the authorisation of the music right owners.

The music rights body noted that that these illegal acts have denied music right owners of the economic benefits of their works because of low patronage of legitimate music sales.

In his key note address, the Board Chairman, Rex Omar pledged to protect the intellectual property of music right owners against any form of abuse or violation.

He noted that, in this digital age, technology platforms have provided users easy access to music without the authorisation from the right owners, it was therefore imperative to protect and regulate the commercial usage of music.

“Especially on digital platforms to ensure that any person who trades using music, is properly granted permission by the licensed collecting Society, GHAMRO so that the requisite royalties is paid for music usage,” Rex Omar said.

Resource persons at the workshop included, Kwme Anyimadu Antwi, M.P for Asante Akim Central (Former Copyright Deputy Attorney), and Jonathan Cudjoe, General Manager for GHAMRO.

They addressed participants on aspects of the Copyright Law, (Act 690 & L.I 1962), role of collective management Organisations, licensing of copyrighted works, enforcement of anti-piracy activities amongst other topics.

Strategies to check and minimize piracy on digital music platforms where also discussed.

Also present at the workshop were some Board members of GHAMRO including the First Vice Chairman, Alhaji Banda(Bandex); Second Vice Chairperson, Diana Hopeson; Nana Tuffuor, Nana Kweku Duah (Tic Tac), Augustina Addison, Rev Francis Boahene and the Chief Operating Officer for GHAMRO, Abraham Adjatey, who was doubled as the MC for the workshop.

As a follow up to the Police workshop in Kumasi, GHAMRO is set to organise a similar workshop for selected sections of the media on June 28 at the conference room of the Copyright Office in Accra.