Nigerian actress Iyabo Ojo has accused a Ghanaian television station of broadcasting her movie, The Memory of You, without authorisation less than 24 hours after its release.
Ojo made the allegation on Saturday, 21 hours after releasing the final episode of the movie, which premiered on Friday at 5pm.
The actress accused NETV of airing the film without her permission, licence or payment, describing the action as an infringement on her intellectual property rights.
She also called on Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, the National Film Authority and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture to take action against the station.
In a post on Instagram, Ojo wrote: “My movie THE MEMORY OF YOU 1&2 is being aired on TV channels in Ghana without my permission. No call. No licence. No payment. Just pure theft.
“To NETV and every other station doing this: You cannot build your channel on the backs of filmmakers and expect us to keep quiet.”
She urged Ghanaian authorities to enforce existing copyright laws, including the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690), against broadcasters accused of showing unauthorised content.
“To His Excellency the President of Ghana, @officialjdmahama, National Film Authority @nationalfilmauthority and the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture in Ghana, we are begging you to act. There are laws in place – the Copyright Act, 2005 (Act 690). Enforce them,” she said.
Ojo further stated that the National Film Authority had previously warned that television stations airing unauthorised content risked sanctions, including suspension or revocation of their licences.
She said piracy undermined creativity, employment and investment in the film industry, adding that filmmakers deserved protection for their intellectual property.
“We are not asking for favours. We are demanding what is rightfully ours: respect and protection for our intellectual property. Enough is enough,” she added.
