The Reprographic Rights Organisation of Ghana, CopyGhana, has expressed concern about both photo and digital copying of literary works in tertiary institutions across the country.
The organisation says the practice is negatively affecting the economic rights of the creators of the works.
The Chairman of CopyGhana, Dr. Kwesi Annoh, disclosed this when he led a five-member executive board of the organisation to pay a courtesy call on the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, at the Council Chamber.
Dr. Annor said though Copyright laws allow photocopying few pages of a literary work for research or academic purposes, the type of photocopying and some digital copying that takes place at the educational institutions go beyond permitted limits.
He said his outfit was therefore paying working visits to all public universities to impress on the authorities of the universities to allow every student to pay a blanket reprographic fee of 3 Ghana Cedis every academic year.
Dr. Annor said CopyGhana had signed a resolution with the student leaders who had unanimously agreed to sensitize their students to pay the blanket reprographic fees.
The Chairman of CopyGhana added that students at the Technical Universities had started paying the Fees for this academic year, noting that the organisation would also visit the authorities of private universities and the colleges of education.
Dr. Annor used the visit to also congratulate Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah on his appointment and inauguration.
The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah, for his part, said he shared the sentiments raised by the leadership of CopyGhana and urged them to discuss the issue with Vice-Chancellor Ghana to look into the matters so as to find lasting solution to the issue.
“If Vice- Chancellor Ghana takes a decision, it is binding on everybody (Vice-Chancellors)…,” he said.
Prof. Ampiah said once CopyGhana had had a resolution with the student leaders over the payment of the Fees, then their work was partly done.
“Once the students have signed a resolution with you, then your work is 90% done,” he said, while assuring them that management would also find out from the students and they would hear from management in no time.
Later, Dr. Kwesi Annoh shared a handshake with Prof. Joseph Ghartey Ampiah and presented some documents of CopyGhana to him.
Present at the meeting were Prof. George K. T Oduro, Pro-Vice-Chancellor; Mrs. Georgina Owusu, Secretary to the Vice-Chancellor; Dr. Kwaku Mensah Ganu, the Vice Chairman of CopyGhana; Mr. Ben Nyadzi, Executive Director of CopyGhana; Mr. Eric Ofei, Board Member, CopyGhana, and Mr. Asare Konadu Yamoah, Board Member, CopyGhana.
Source - Cape Coast University
