Govt Invites FBI to investigate Copyrights operation

Accra, Oct. 8, GNA - The Government has been called upon to seek the assistance of the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) into operations of the Copyrights Administration.

A statement issued by Bibini Music Production and signed by Mr Fiasal Helwani, its Director and copied to the Ghana News Agency on Wednesday urged the government to take advantage of the presence of the FBI in the country.

The statement said the same FBI Unit in the country deals with other forms of piracy, including music and films, therefore, the government should involve them.

The FBI has been training the Ghana Police on the detection of cyber and Internet crimes.

The statement also called on the Police Administration not to concentrate on the fight against cyber and Internet related crimes but to train officer to combat piracy.

It said: "we have been wrangling about piracy for a long time including, accusations and counter accusations between Musicians, the Copyrights Administrator and other stakeholders there is therefore the need to properly investigate by experts to ascertain the truth." The statement said the imposition of levies and licensing of Hollywood films and Music from Europe and America by the Copyrights Administrator is an infringement on the Bern Convention on Membership rights.

The statement also called on the Government to probe the music industry and its affiliate bodies and individuals in order to eliminate crooks from the system.

The statement said the Copyrights offices' collection of royalties on behalf of both international and local music and film producers is wrong.

The Copyrights Offices is only charged to collect performance rights from radio and other commercial users of music, that is it they are not to be involved in the product.

The statement also appealed to Parliament to expedite action on the passage of the copyright bill to protect the music and film works from pirates.

It noted that the film and music industry is under siege, with the piracy of works on the ascendancy.

The statement said the various stakeholders in music and film industry "have had enough of piracy, enough is enough. "Efforts should be made to arrest people who continue to pirate our works, thereby taking us out of job".

"It is a big war we are fighting and we shall fight till we win because we have the law behind us." 08 Oct. 2003