A growing number of Ghanaian YouTube content creators are falling victim to content theft on social media platforms, particularly TikTok. Vivian Jill, aka Abrewa Mafia, is among those affected, with her YouTube content being stolen, split into parts, and shared on various TikTok pages without her permission for personal gain.
In an exclusive interview with Sikka FM’s Flavour Zones, Mr. Owusu Ansah James, Senior Researcher at the Copyright Office Ghana, condemned the practice, stating that it constitutes copyright infringement.
“Using someone’s copyrighted content without permission is an offense, and those found guilty can face monetary damages amounting to millions of cedis,” he warned.
Mr. Owusu emphasized the importance of registering content with the Ghana Copyright Office to protect creators’ rights.
“Failure to register can lead to a slow and sometimes impossible claiming process,” he cautioned.
The Copyright Office Ghana defines copyright infringement as the reproduction, distribution, or display of another person’s content without permission.
However, fair use provisions allow for limited use of copyrighted material for criticism, commentary, news reporting, teaching, and research.
As the surge in content theft continues, Ghanaian creators are urged to take proactive steps to protect their intellectual property and seek legal recourse when necessary.
By Kwame Asare
