A three-day book fair has opened in Kumasi with a call for a strong copyright regime to prevent the loss of substantial revenue by book publishers.
Dr. Samuel Osafo Acquaah, a former President of the Ghana Book Publishers Association (GBPA), identified this as major factor hampering the full realization of the industry’s potential in the country.
The fair is being organized jointly by the GBPA and the Ghana Book Development Council (GBDC) with the goal of stimulating interest in reading, especially, by students.
It comes ahead of the Ghana International Book Fair to be held in Accra in August, and meant to provide the opportunity for every one to buy books at discounted prices.
On the sidelines is a workshop on “Book industry standards” and that would bring together writers, publishers, book sellers, students, teachers and the general public.
Dr. Acquaah said the nation had not been able to appreciate the actual contribution of the publishing industry to its socio-economic growth and development process because of “inadequate awareness of copyright, piracy and ineffective right manage collection system”.
“With the rapid globalization and growth of digital media, an effective copyright regime coupled with an effective and efficient enforcement strategy is the essential underpinning of a country’s participation in the global information economy”, he added.
He used the occasion to underline the need for Ghanaians to take to reading, a habit he said was the way forward to avoid being left behind as a result of globalization.
Mrs. Aba Brew-Hammond, Head of Department of the Publishing Studies, KNUST, encouraged students to adopt the habit of reading to broaden their knowledge.
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Source: GNA