Moves To Streamline Operations Of Video Clubs

The Copyright Office of Ghana has introduced some modalities to streamline the operations of video clubs/libraries in the country.

The measures are being taken with the support of the Film Producers Association, the Actors Guild and the Copyright Owners Society of Ghana (COSGA).

These measures have been instituted to ensure a balance between the rights of film producers and actors on one side and operators of the video clubs.

This arrangement, which was mutually discussed and adopted at a meeting held recently will see to the payment of registration fees and the provision of an inventory of all the films video clubs/libraries have in their custody for rentals.

The number of films in their possession will be the basis for determining the licence fees payable for the year and the video clubs will also be required henceforth to procure original copies of the films that they exhibit in the libraries.

These were disclosed to The Mirror by Mr Bernard K. Bosompra, the Copyright Administrator, in an interview. He explained that these decisions became necessary because prior to taking them, the Ghana Film Producers Association did not allow the video clubs to rent their films.

Mr Bosompra is of the view that after the video clubs have received the authorisation, there will not be discrimination in the films that are rented.

The decision, according to the Copyright Administrator, is to encourage the film producers to exploit their work before the films are shown or rented out, at least for a minimum of three months before the films are released for rentals.

Additionally, Mr Bosompra said the Ghanaian Film Producers will be required to duplicate the required number of copies of local Ghanaian films that a video library will require for its operations.

Explaining further, he said the Copyright Office will presume that films currently in the custody of video libraries will be presented as originals and be marked as such.

He warned that any video club which does not register and subsequently pay its licences automatically debars itself from the operations of video clubs.

The Copyright Office, according to Mr Bosompra, is expected to make representation on behalf of foreign film producing associations such as the American Motion Pictures Association to pave the way for members of the film industry and citizens of Ghana who will be interested to take licences to deal in such films.

Earlier in the year the film producers made a complaint to the Copyright Office that they were not getting any benefit from the operations of video libraries. The worst part of it, according to the film makers, is the duplication of their films, which the video operators sell.