Diana Hopeson
The management of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) has assured its members and the general public that, it is vigorously pursuing its mandate in terms of licensing music users, collecting the said fees and distributing same.
It said further to Section 30 of the L.I1962, the organisation has duly submitted its report as required under law to the regulators, the Attorney Generals Department through the Copyright Office.
The organisation therefore urged all music users such as radio and television stations, pubs, night clubs, restaurants, banks, shopping malls, barbering & hairdressing salons among others to apply to the organisation for a license under Section 36 to enable it fulfil its mandate to distribute royalties to right owners.
It added, “The licence granted is to be displayed at an open place within the working areas or premises for inspection by a team composed of the copyright monitoring, GHAMRO task force and the security agencies in line with Section 29 of the law.”
Providing updates on some developments in GHAMRO as an organisation, the management said GHAMRO’s administrative system had been restructured.
It revealed that some of GHAMRO’s recent achievements include highest recorded royalties payment to its members, a new and up-to-date communication strategy, amongst others.
It has also entered into an agreement with some international organisations to provide digital monitoring systems to help in tracking how songs by Ghanaian musicians are used on radio, television, and digital platforms.
The management, which has worked tirelessly towards the progress of the organisation and also improved the royalty collection and distribution system in Ghana, said it had operated with absolute integrity and transparency.
According to the management, they are focused on transforming the livelihoods and careers of GHAMRO members and would ensure they earn a good living from the exploitation of their music copyright works.
By George Clifford Owusu