Ghana Publishing Company Limited (GPCL) Managing Director, Nana Kwasi Boatey Esq., has vowed to tackle copyright infringement in the publishing industry to protect intellectual property rights.
Speaking on Focus on ABC, he emphasized that unauthorized reproductions of published works have become a major issue, affecting both authors and publishers.
“When it comes to the printing and marketing of laws, it’s important that people get them from the right source. The danger is that some individuals obtain materials from unreliable places, claiming they are official,” he warned.
According to him, GPCL is the only legally mandated institution to print and distribute Ghana’s laws, yet counterfeit copies continue to circulate, misleading the public.
“Knowing that we are the sole organization mandated to print the laws of Ghana, we urge people to come directly to us for authentic materials,” he stressed.
He added that plans are underway to meet with the Publishers Association to discuss strategies for addressing book piracy.
“You’d be surprised—some books we’ve spent time and money to publish have been copied, nicely packaged, and sold at half the price of the original. These are matters we need to address as an industry,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Nana Kwasi Boatey remains optimistic that strict enforcement and stakeholder collaboration will help curb piracy.
He acknowledged that completely eliminating the issue may be difficult, but stated that the company will work closely with the security agencies and relevant bodies to ensure that offenders face legal consequences.
“We intend to meet publishers and sellers to discuss enforcement mechanisms. Fighting copyright infringement may be tough, but it is not impossible,” he affirmed.