Media personality, talent manager, and record producer Jay Foley has called for urgent reforms to protect the intellectual property of Ghanaian creatives.
According to him, the creative industry in Ghana lacks the legal and policy frameworks necessary to shield artistes, producers, and content creators from exploitation and copyright infringement.
Speaking to GhanaWeb’s Isaac Dadzie at the launch of the Black Star Experience at Black Star Square, Jay Foley pointed out the pressing need for policymakers to pay closer attention to copyright issues in the creative sector.
He recounted his own experience with piracy, where his work was used without proper authorisation.
“I think copyright conversations in this country need to be taken seriously. You know, for us who find ourselves in the creative space, I find myself in there, I have products that are out there that are being used by people without proper authorisation,” he said.
Jay Foley also expressed frustration over the lack of resources and legal support available to Ghanaian creatives seeking justice.
He noted that even when creatives rights are violated, many artistes are unable to take action simply because they don’t have access to legal experts who understand the industry.
“I can’t reach them because sometimes it’s out of my space. We don’t even have enough legal personalities or legal persons who are in the field of creative arts, you know, to even be able to speak for us,” he explained.
Jay Foley further urged the government to prioritise creative sector reforms as part of its broader policy agenda.
“We need more policies to protect us. I’m hoping that the current government should look into things like this as well to, you know, to add on to this experience that we call the Black Star,” he emphasised.
AK/EB
