?30 Billion Annual Rip-Off

Real figures are yet to be compiled but the reality is that the showbiz industry in Ghana loses between ?20 and ?30 billion annually through piracy.

While every hit song is likely to be a target for pirates, artistes whose works are mostly found among confiscated pirated works are Kojo Antwi, Daddy Lumba, Obrafuor, Ofori Amponsah, Esther Smith, Tic Tac, among others.

According to Mr Alfred Kumi Atiemo, Media Relations Officer of the Copyright Office, each sale by a pirate represents a lost, legitimate sale for stakeholders.

?They do not also pay tax or royalties so all the money they accrue goes into their pockets.? He says piracy does not only deprive record companies, artistes, producers, songwriters, publishers, retailers, among others, of profits, but also stifles creativity.

He, however, says that when the right measures are put in place, showbiz can be a very viable industry. ?I won?t hesitate to state that if we work things out, showbiz can overtake some of our major foreign exchange earners. It has the potential.

It is the second and third earners in the UK and USA respectively.? Another concern of Mr Kumi Atiemo is the latest channel through which pirates are now operating.

?They are not only using the traditional way to pirate but also now using the Internet. The Internet cafes now burn latest and selected hits for consumers.

All a customer needs to do is to say which artiste?s song he wants and he gets it. ?The fact that music and movies can be disseminated digitally on the Internet, illegally, is a serious concern,? he added.

He stated that although piracy could not be eradicated entirely, it could be controlled when adequate resources were put in place. ?We are very under-resourced.

We normally get funds from the government?s consolidated fund but that is not enough. We also rely on stakeholders but the money involved is huge and it is difficult to mobilise.

?It costs a lot to embark on anti-piracy raids. The recent one organised last week in just a part of Accra cost about ?30 million so one can imagine if we have to go nationwide,? he said.

Mr Kumi Atiemo said further that most of the pirated works were manufactured in the Far East and brought to our neighbouring countries.

?The pirates hire people at the borders who smuggle them into the country through unapproved routes.?
Also, Mr Kumi Atiemo believes promo CDs given to some DJs find their way out to the public domain.

?Most of the time, compilation may not have been released so how did the pirates lay hands on them??
When asked about what is done with confiscated pirated works, Mr Kumi Atiemo said:

?Normally the court might grant an order for them to be destroyed and suspects may be fined or slapped with a sentence.?

He urged everyone to get involved in the fight against piracy. ?We need everybody from the creator, producer and user to help fight piracy.

If users decide not to patronise pirated goods, the pirates will be out of business.? He further explains that the consumer is the ultimate victim.

?Although consumers may find pirated works cheap, they are generally poorly manufactured and do not include the superior sound quality, artwork, and insert information included in the legitimate product.?

Also, piracy is a contributing factor to the high cost of genuine works. ?The larger the quantity of genuine works produced, the lower the price will be but with piracy so rife, right holders and owners do not produce in large quantities.?

He also advised hawkers and sellers to buy from recognised outlets so that when there is trouble, they can lead the police to the source.

?We have credible shops like Big Ben, Precise, Danfo BA Productions, Miracle Films . . . where they can buy their wares from.

?As it is now, most of [the] suspects arrested buy from unauthorised people so are not able to lead security [personnel] to them and so bear all the responsibility,? he added.