An intellectual property lawyer has advised the Ghana Tourism Authority (GTA) to make certain if indeed the agency they contracted to work on the controversial tourism advert shared by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo obtained permission to use portions of artiste Kirani Ayat’s ‘Guda’ music video in the said advert. 

Called Sarah Anku, she said: “Yes, they [GTA] may have obtained that video clip from the agency but I would advise that they should step back [and] find out whether the agency actually obtained the right from the owner before using it,” she told Blessed Sogah of Joy News’ The Pulse.

Ms Anku is also worried about how the Ghana Tourism Authority is handling communication concerning the alleged copyright infringement. 

“I have seen the notice from the Ghana Tourism Authority and I was a bit concerned about the posture to say that they obtained it from an agency and so it was legitimately obtained,” she said.

The intellectual property lawyer advised “the GTA to step back and reconsider their decision if what I am reading is true because in that notice they have even stated how long they have been infringing on the gentleman’s right.”

She also warned the Ghana Tourism Authority could face a civil and criminal prosecution and be liable to a jail term and a fine, if found culpable of piracy.

Ms Sarah Anku further expressed gladness for Kirani Ayat speaking up about the copyright infringement he has suffered because, according to her, it has brought much-needed awareness which will prompt creatives to seek permission before using people’s intellectual property. 

“As a nation we need to practicalise this intellectual property [conversation]. Let us enforce our rights and through the purpose of our rights, a lot more people will be aware of that,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Tourism Authority, Mr Akwasi Agyemang, has disclosed the agency his firm dealt with in relation to Ayat’s ‘Guda’ footage is SAMSAL Company Limited founded by Salman Ali and Samson Adu.