Device to authenticate musical works launched
Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Feb. 2000
A device to determine the authenticity of genuine musical works - hologram - was on Tuesday launched in Accra.
Nana Akuoko Sarpong, Chairman of the National Commission on Culture (NCC), said Ghana would be the first to introduce the modern type of security self-adhesive label in Africa.
The device, which costs 433 million cedis replaces the banderole and is expected to appear on cassettes and Compact Disk as evidence that mechanical rights have been paid.
Nana Akuoko Sarpong, said the government is keen on ensuring that the field of intellectual property, particularly music copyright is "kept clear of the debilitating effects of piracy".
He said music pirates continue make fortunes from people’s work by taking advantage of technological development at the expenses of authors and investors.
Nana Akuoko Sarpong pointed out that just as its criminal and reprehensible to take somebody's property without his consent so does exploiting a creative person's intellectual property amount to stealing.
Ghana would study the impact of music and other leisure and cultural industries on the economy, he said.
Tthe introductory price of the hologram would remain the same as the banderole, he said and added that consultations would be held soon with stakeholders for an upward review to take account for increase in foreign exchange rate and VAT.
The Hologram was designed, developed and produced by the Oversight Committee of the Copyright Society of Ghana (COSGA) and has the map of Ghana as its logo.
It also has a black star embodied with micro lines, which can be read with a magnifying glass.
Mr Joe Mensah, Member of the Oversight Committee said the Hologram is extremely difficult to copy due to its complicated technical structure and is known to provide the highest level of security.
He said it "is tamper-evident and cannot be removed from the surface to which it is attached without damaging the label".
He said for the first phase, 2.5 million copies have been ordered "and this will be computerised in about six months to reduce piracy substantially".
Mr Mensah said about eight million banderoles were sold in a year but "with this new system, we might sell about 20 million copies of cassettes a year".
The incidence of piracy of musical works is about 40 per cent and expressed the hope that with the introduction of the new device, this would be reduced to about 10 per cent.
He said 10 million orders, have been placed for the start.
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Accra (Greater Accra) 23 Feb. 2000
Ten Fellows of the African Humanities Institute of the University of Ghana, Legon, were on Tuesday hosted at a reception in Accra.
It was organised by the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA) for the fellows from all over Africa to establish bonds of friendship between them and members of the Association.
The Fellows are attending a 10-week seminar on the composition and transmission of Musical Forms in Africa and the Diaspora.
They are from Ghana, South Africa, Kenya, Congo, Nigeria and Mozambique.
Professor Kofi Anyidoho of the Institute of African Studies, Legon, said the programme is focused on the study of and promotion of African music.
Music deserves attention because it is a major economic activity, he said.
Mr Sidiku Buari, Chairman of MUSIGA, said the reception was part of efforts to forge contacts to sell Ghana's music abroad.
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