COCCA Protests Against Bill

The new Copyright bill currently before parliament has been strongly protested against by a section of the Copyright Stakeholders known as the Coalition of Concerned Copyright Advocates (COCCA).The new Copyright bill which is suppose to govern the operations of the arts sectors comprising of musicians, filmmakers, writers, designers, etc have been declared as inadequate by the Advocates during the launch of COCCA last Monday at Metro House.According to COCCAs should the bill be passed as law without making the necessary amendment as indicated by the group, it will only have the tendency to increase the power of the copyright office to the disadvantage of the music industry and other Copyright owners.It also has the tendency to impose systems, taxes and levies that are burdensome and stifling to the industry and consumers. An example of which is the imposition of security devices and taxes on Ghanaians for the use of folklore and other public domain material.Again the group mentioned at the launch that though the current bill allows for the formation of collection societies under section 49, this right is taken away by virtual continuation in force of LI 1527 under PNDC Law 110.It is for these reasons that COCCA has stepped forward to ensure that the rights of copyrights owners are not taken over by the Copyright office and it's Administrator. The group indicated that should the new bill be passed out as it is, it will do nothing but trespass on the fundamental human rights and freedoms of the owners.Among the grievances spelt out by the group, their greatest fear is that under the unjustifiable excuse by the Copyright Administrator that Ghana is behind in its international obligations on Copyright, Parliament may truncate its deliberative process and unwittingly pass the bill into the law.COCCA has traced the root of this problem to the doorstep of the Copyright Office and its Administrator, which they claim are largely responsible for the contents of the bill, invests excessive and totalitarian functions and power that also usurps the functions of the police and Judiciary. At the live launch of the group last Monday, they took the opportunity to launch and distribute a booklet titled “Copyright Bill is inadequate in which they have systematically spelt out their grievances and some sections of the new bill before parliament as well as why they think it is bound to infringe on the rights of copyright owners and that of the general public”.The event also saw the inauguration of a logo for the group. Present at the event to render various supports were Mr. Carlos Sakyi (GHASCAP), Rex Omar, Nat Brew a.k.a Owura Amandzeba, Mr. Stan Plange, Mr. Khojo Aquai, Mac Tontoh, K.K. Kabobo, Lucky Mensah, Randy Noono among other musicians.COCCA is further appealing to all copyright owners, sympathizers, the Media and all right thinking people to join in this noble quest for the good of Copyright in Ghana.