Producers’ vs Directors: Who Holds the Creative Rights? A Critical Analysis of Film Authorship in Ghana’s Copyright Law

Abstract (250 Word Limit)

Determining authorship within the realm of copyright is as crucial as establishing originality in creative works. Clear identification of the author of a copyright- protected work is essential for recognising and acknowledging the rightful individual entitled to exclusive copyright benefits. This is particularly pertinent in the context of audiovisual works, such as films, where numerous contributors, regardless of the scale of their contribution, collaborate in their creation. Over time, many countries, including the UK and US have either refined copyright legislation pertaining to films or developed substantial precedents to address such complexities.

However, the situation differs in Ghana, a developing country with significant corpus of copyright works, particularly films. Unfortunately, determining authorship in films under Ghana’s copyright laws has remained ambiguous and, at times, contradictory. This lack of clarity, exacerbated by a dearth of judicial interpretation, has had detrimental effects on the development of the film industry in Ghana. Utilizing a doctrinal approach, supplemented with interviews to address gaps in existing literature, this paper aims to bridge the gap by critically examining these challenges and proposing informed guidelines for establishing authorship in Ghanaian films This paper endeavours to bridge this gap by critically analysing these issues and offering informed guidelines on establishing authorship in Ghanaian films. Such guidance aims to foster the growth of the industry and its contribution to the nation’s development