Highlife musician and lead for creatives in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rex Omar, has reaffirmed the party’s commitment to improving the intellectual property rights of creatives in Ghana.
During a Manifesto Debate on Creative Economy hosted by Joy FM, Rex Omar highlighted the shortcomings of the current royalty system in Ghana.
He emphasized the need for a law that specifies the exact amount of money to be paid for people’s intellectual property.
According to Rex Omar, the lack of a clear law has resulted in a defective royalty system where music users, such as media houses, are not mandated to pay based on the duration or frequency of music usage.
Instead, a flat rate is used, leading to discrepancies in royalty payments.
The NDC, if voted into power, promises to address these issues by passing legislation that clearly outlines how much music users should pay.
Rex Omar emphasized that this approach is common practice worldwide and would ensure fair compensation for creatives.
The copyright office of Ghana is currently represented by three collective management organizations: Ghana Music Rights Organisations (GHAMRO), Audiovisual Rights Society of Ghana (ARSOG), and CopyGhana.
However, many creatives have expressed dissatisfaction with the system due to poor structures and ineffective processes.
The recent Manifesto Debate on Creative Economy brought these issues to the forefront, with representatives from both the NDC and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) sharing their perspectives.
Rex Omar, along with other NDC members, advocated for better protection of creatives’ intellectual property rights.
