The ruling of the Commercial Court 7 in Accra has favoured music producer Spiky, granting him a total of USD290,000 in damages and legal fees in a copyright infringement case against the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Spiky had accused CAF of unlawfully using his music, “Okomfo Anokye,” in their promotional materials for the 2018 CAF Awards.
Despite being notified of the infringement in 2019, CAF neglected to respond.
During the trial, CAF admitted to using the music without consent, but argued that it was freely available for download online and not used for commercial purposes.
However, the court found CAF guilty of disrespecting Spiky’s intellectual property rights and awarded the music producer significant compensation.
This ruling is a major success for the Ghanaian creative industry as it reinforces the importance of protecting intellectual property and ensuring fair compensation for artists.
Spiky shared his delight on social media, declaring it a “victory for the creative industry: CAF vs Spiky.”
This case serves as a precedent for safeguarding the rights of artists and serves as a warning to organizations to abide by copyright laws and respect creators’ intellectual property.
It highlights the significance of obtaining permission and providing fair compensation for the use of creative works.
CAF’s actions were deemed disrespectful and resulted in financial losses for Spiky, emphasizing the significance of valuing and protecting intellectual property.
The court’s decision sends a significant message to all organizations to prioritize copyright laws and respect the rights of creators.
