Veteran Ghanaian gospel artiste Stella Aba Seal has lamented the lack of respect for music creators in Ghana.

Sharing her experience, the seasoned Ghanaian gospel musician said on Onua Showtime that her songs are often used without permission.

“In Ghana, honouring is not part of our culture. We don’t respect trailblazers and pathfinders. It happens rarely, unlike in sports where international footballers have built houses for communities and offered support,” she stated.

She describes it as unfortunate that veteran artists are sometimes labelled as attention-seekers when they raise concerns.

“When you try to correct them for not relating properly to grown adults, they say you just want to trend, even when you are old enough to give birth to them and they met you at the workplace,” she added.

She stressed that older musicians laid the foundation for much of what exists today. “We have done a lot of education on telling people to appreciate us after inviting us because we pay for our recordings ourselves.”

Team Eternity Ghana, known for their gospel hit "Defe Defe," was embroiled in a copyright infringement controversy.

Veteran music producer Kwame Mickey accused the Christian group of unlawfully sampling a song by his artistes, Helleluyah Voices.

The dispute came to light when Mickey expressed his grievances on social media, questioning the originality of "Defe Defe."

He wrote, “Who is that Defe Defe Singer? If I start right now them go say I am mansonia. What is the difference between the two songs? Somebody tell her to report and do the needful, that’s all.”

Mickey claims that "Defe Defe" closely mirrors a song released by Helleluyah Voices 15 years ago, sharing the same lines, composure, and arrangement, despite featuring different melodies. These allegations have been supported by comparisons that highlight the striking similarities in lyrics and structure between the two songs.

"Defe Defe," which was released earlier this year, has received considerable acclaim within the gospel music community. However, this scandal casts a shadow over its success, raising serious questions about the song's originality. Team Eternity has yet to respond to the accusations officially.

The Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) and the Copyright Office have pledged to work more closely together to solve challenges affecting Ghana's music industry, especially issues with royalty payment and ongoing troubles within the Ghana Music Rights Organization (GHAMRO).

At a meeting held on June 2, leaders from both MUSIGA and the Copyright Office discussed how to improve the current system.

One of the main concerns raised was the delay and confusion in how musicians receive their royalties (i.e., money they earn when their music is used publicly).

MUSIGA President, Bessa Simons, stressed that most musicians depend heavily on these payments to survive.

He said, although about 80% of musicians are registered with GHAMRO, the money isn't being shared fairly and regularly.

GHAMRO has also been facing internal problems, especially legal disputes over how leaders are elected and how its constitution is applied.

These legal battles have slowed down the organization's work.

The Copyright Office made it clear that only the court can decide who should lead GHAMRO during such conflicts.

They also noted that the Attorney General's office must follow the law when stepping in.

To help end the deadlock, those present suggested bringing in neutral individuals or respected industry elders to help with mediation and get everyone involved again.

Director of the Copyright Office, Mr William Akwetey Bonsu, encouraged all parties to stop taking each other to court and instead find peaceful ways to address their differences.

He added that his office has already given legal advice to help keep things on track.

His office would also continue to remain neutral and support efforts to protect musicians' rights and keep the industry progressing.

President of the Film Producers Association of Ghana (FIPAG), James Aboagye, has characterized Ghana's copyright laws as virtually non-existent.

In an interview with Graphic Showbiz, he voiced concerns that the current legal framework fails to adequately safeguard the rights of creators, impeding the growth of the creative sector.

Aboagye attributed this deficiency to the Ghana Copyright Office's reluctance to embrace digitalization, hindering efforts to combat piracy and other copyright infringements within the country's creative industry.

He expressed dismay over the continued reliance on analogue processes by the Ghana Copyright Office, emphasizing that such an approach discourages the creation of new works.

According to Aboagye, the existing copyright laws lack provisions that empower content creators to assert their rights in the face of piracy and other challenges arising from unauthorized reproduction of their work.

"Last year, I created content which went viral, and a Nigerian uploaded it on his YouTube channel. When I decided to upload it, YouTube flagged it. I was told I could not do it because it was not mine. How do we fight these issues? Our current copyright laws do not make provision for these online contents and your intellectual property just goes down the drain in just a second."

“So, if someone pirates your content and you manage to take them on, and they get a good lawyer to defend them, you are finished, because there is no legal backing for you again,” he added.

Mr. Aboagye emphasized the need for swift action from the Copyright Office to issue digital certificates to movie producers and creatives.

He argued that these digital certificates would play a crucial role in empowering creators to assert ownership of their content on major video streaming platforms and effectively combat unauthorized uploads.

"The Copyright Office is not doing much. They don’t even have plans to develop digital certificates which we could stand on that to challenge certain institutions. This is because when someone uploads your content and you challenge it, they can grant your request if you have a digital certificate for the content you have produced,” he emphasised.

In addition to championing the issuance of digital certificates, Mr. Aboagye urged the Copyright Office and its stakeholders to undertake public education initiatives on copyright matters. He emphasized the importance of educating the public, with a specific focus on royalties and acquisition processes.

"There is much education to be done to sensitise stakeholders on these copyright issues, royalties and acquisition to avoid conflict of interest”, he added.

In response, James Owusu Ansah, a Senior Research and Documentation Officer at the Ghana Copyright Office, acknowledged that attempts to shift their operations to digital platforms have faced challenges due to financial and logistical constraints. He explained that, despite a strong desire to modernize operations and enhance capacity, the office has encountered obstacles in making this transition.

“We went to the Public Accounts Committee earlier this year and one of the challenges we presented was the Office’s inability to keep pace with current trends due to financial and logistic limitations.

“We have had this digital agenda on the table for a long time. However, because we don’t have the muscle to pull it through, people think we are not doing anything about it. We have even engaged stakeholders on it before,” he said.

James Owusu Ansah further explained that ongoing efforts are in place to review copyright laws to better address the contemporary needs of creatives. While he did not provide a specific timeframe, he assured that the office is actively working towards this goal.

"Our copyright laws came into existence in the analogue era, and the Office has made plans to adjust that. We have engaged stakeholders and strategic partners. However, the revision of laws involves a complex and time-consuming process. So, we can’t tell when it will be reviewed, but our people in the creative arts space should be assured it will surely be reviewed to suit their needs,” he added.