Juliet Ibrahim, a Ghanaian actress and independent filmmaker, expressed her deep disappointment over the significant lack of respect for intellectual property rights demonstrated by numerous television stations operating in Ghana.
She responded to an appeal made by Nigerian actress Bimbo Ademoye, whose latest film ‘Broken Hallelujah’ was recently uploaded to YouTube. In a widely shared video snippet, Ademoye criticized certain Ghanaian YouTube channels for illegally distributing her work.
Reacting to this issue, Ibrahim mentioned that during the last several months, she noticed that certain movies initially and legitimately uploaded onto her official YouTube channel have been illicitly reproduced, redistributed, and used by unauthorized Ghanaian TV channels such as Pemsan TV, without obtaining consent from either herself or her team.
In spite of multiple attempts by both my management team and legal advisors—efforts which included sending cease-and-desist notices, reaching out directly to these networks, and proposing a formal settlement—the unlawful broadcasting of my content has persisted. Pemsan TV along with several others continue to ignore our communications and fail to take appropriate action.
This issue doesn’t affect only me; I fully back my Nigerian counterparts, Omoni Oboli and Bimbo Ademoye, who are equally vocal about combating the piracy of their creative productions.
This isn’t merely a Nigerian problem; it’s an African concern, and being Ghanaian, I feel shame that our domestic media outlets are at the heart of these unethical and unlawful practices,” she asserted.
She additionally pointed out that using someone’s hard-won intellectual property without permission is theft because it erodes the investments in time, creativity, and resources made by all those involved in production—from actors to editors to camera operators—over many years.
We call on the rightful authorities:
Ibrahim similarly urged the Ghana National Communications Authority (NCA), Copyright Office, Police Service, Film Authority, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture, as well as the nation’s Media Commission to take immediate action.
“We require strong measures, regulations, and enforcement to safeguard content creators and revive the honor of our film sector. Such behavior disgraces not just those involved but also the entire country of Ghana, which ought to stand as an exemplar of quality in arts and culture. The creative economy of Africa merits recognition,” she emphasized.
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