BY Nadia Ntiamoah
Nollywood actress and producer Mercy Johnson-Okojie has expressed outrage over a Ghanaian television station, Blazing TV, airing her movie “The Firstborn” without her consent.
In a scathing Instagram post, Johnson questioned the audacity of the station, stating, “Ghana, Blazing TV. How is this even ok? Blazing TV in Ghana is showing my movie, The Firstborn, on their TV without my consent. How does this even make sense? How? I am speechless at the audacity of it all”.
This incident highlights the growing concern over copyright infringement in the Nollywood industry.
Johnson joins a list of prominent Nigerian filmmakers and actors who have spoken out against unauthorized use of their content by Ghanaian broadcasters.
Previously, actresses Omoni Oboli and Bimbo Ademoye had threatened to take legal action against some Ghanaian TV stations over similar issues.
Background
The unauthorized broadcast of Johnson’s movie is not an isolated incident.
Several Nigerian filmmakers have raised concerns about Ghanaian TV stations airing their content without permission.
In April, Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Sam George, assured Bimbo Ademoye that her intellectual property rights would be protected.
He stated that the government is committed to upholding intellectual property laws and would work with relevant authorities to address the issue.
The Ghanaian government has expressed its commitment to protecting intellectual property rights.
He assured Ademoye that he would raise the issue with his colleague responsible for overseeing television contents.
