Veteran Ghanaian filmmaker and entertainment personality Socrate Safo has questioned the broadcasting practices of Prophet Daniel Obinim’s OBTV, after allegedly airing movies without the necessary copyright permissions.
In a strongly worded commentary, Socrate said he recently came across a movie being aired on OBTV and decided to make enquiries about whether the station had secured the appropriate rights to broadcast the production.
He said his checks with the Copyright Office raised concerns about the licensing of audiovisual content on the station.
Socrate argued that owning a television station does not automatically give a broadcaster the right to air movies, stressing that filmmakers and other rights holders must be properly compensated for the use of their works.
His comments took a humorous turn as he questioned why the spiritual guidance often associated with Prophet Obinim had seemingly not extended to copyright matters.
“How come the Holy Spirit, or whatever spiritual power he believes in, has not whispered anything to him about copyright? Prayer does not replace a copyright licence. Anointing oil does not constitute permission from a filmmaker,” he said.
Beyond OBTV, Socrate said he had also examined other television stations affiliated with pastors and churches, suggesting that copyright compliance within religious broadcasting deserved greater attention.
He noted that Ghana’s creative industry continues to face challenges in monetising locally produced content and argued that broadcasters have a responsibility to respect the intellectual property of filmmakers.
Socrate also pointed to the work of the Copyright Monitoring Team, which is tasked with monitoring copyright works and investigating suspected infringement.
He said religious broadcasters should lead by example by obtaining the necessary permissions before airing films and other copyrighted material.
