Accra (Greater Accra) 30 March ’99
A national forum on the protection of the rights of broadcasting organisations opened in Accra on Tuesday to review existing laws governing broadcasters. Organised by the Copyright Office in collaboration with public and private broadcasting organisations, the forum will send its recommendations to the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) in Geneva. The recommendations will assist WIPO, which is the UN agency on intellectual property matters, to upgrade and update existing broadcasting rights established 36 years ago at the Rome convention. The forum, which is organised under the auspices of the National Commission on Culture, is being attended by about 50 broadcasters from the Greater Accra Region. They will discuss various aspects of broadcasting and the problems associated with it. Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture, said there is need for enhanced protection for the rights of broadcasters in the face of the rapid development in information, communications and multi-media techniques which have driven the world to a digital age. Nana Akuoko Sarpong recounted various changes and technological advancements in broadcasting since the 1961 convention which was silent on satellites, digital technology or the internet. At that time, he said, broadcasting was very expensive and there was not too much risk of piracy. The situation has, however, changed and the forum will provide opportunity to reconsider international standards on the protection of the rights of broadcasters. He urged the Copyright Administration to continue with its initiatives in ensuring that Ghana plays its required role, both locally and internationally, in the protection of creators and inventors in the copyright sector. Cdr Pius Griffiths,(rtd )Deputy Minister of Communications, said the current world-wide electronic transmission systems calls for a total review of existing regulations as far as broadcasting is concerned. He said in Ghana, for example, section 37 of PNDC law 110 grants exclusive rights to broadcasting organisations, but modern developments have made those rights woefully inadequate. Mr Bernard K. Bosumprah, Acting Copyright Administrator, said to sustain the phenomenal breakthroughs in broadcasting and communication technologies, there must be an equitable share of the fruits of growth and development among all key players.
