Copyright Office Warns TV Stations: Stop Pirating or Face Jail
The Copyright Office of Ghana has cautioned television stations against airing pirated content without authorization, stressing that offenders could be prosecuted and jailed as part of intensified efforts to protect intellectual property rights.
Accra, Ghana –
The Copyright Office of Ghana has sounded a strong warning to television stations and media platforms unlawfully broadcasting copyrighted content, making it clear that piracy is a criminal offense punishable by jail time.
Speaking at a media stakeholders' engagement in Accra, officials from the Copyright Office condemned the increasing disregard for intellectual property laws in the local broadcasting industry. They emphasized that creators—especially Ghanaian filmmakers, musicians, and content developers—continue to suffer economic losses due to unlicensed broadcasts of their work.
“TV stations have no excuse to air content they do not have the rights to. It’s theft—plain and simple—and it has consequences,” a representative stated.
Under Ghana’s Copyright Act, offenders can face hefty fines or imprisonment, depending on the scale and repetition of the infringement. The Office warned that it is stepping up enforcement efforts, including investigations and legal action against defaulting stations.
The warning comes amid rising global calls for creative content protection in the digital age. In Ghana, the creative economy—worth millions of cedis—is under threat due to rampant piracy, with content often reused without licensing fees or royalty payments.
Industry insiders have welcomed the statement, urging the government to match words with action by setting up a dedicated copyright enforcement task force and public copyright education campaigns.
“This is a critical moment to defend Ghanaian creativity,” said one veteran producer. “Without enforcement, we kill the very thing that makes our culture exportable.”
The Copyright Office is urging media houses to seek licensing agreements and respect the legal rights of content creators to foster a fair and sustainable media landscape.
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