[2025]DLHC18077 • April 7, 2025 • High Court
REPROGRAPHIC RIGHTS ORGANIZATION OF GHANA vs. UNIVERSITY OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES (UPSA)
The Plaintiff, Reprographic Rights Organization of Ghana, alleged that the Defendant, University of Professional Studies (UPSA), allowed mass digital and photocopying of copyrighted literary works by students and lecturers at its libraries, faculties, and private copy shops on campus without obtaining a license, infringing exclusive reproduction rights under Ghanaian copyright law. The Defendant denied installing sophisticated photocopiers but admitted renting space to a third party providing secretarial and photocopy services. The Plaintiff claimed the Defendant refused since 2004 to sign a licensing agreement and collect reprographic fees on behalf of copyright owners.
read moreJUDGMENT The Plaintiff caused a Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim to be issued on the 2nd Day of November 2022 at the Registry of the Honourable Court against the Defendant praying for the following reliefs: (i) A declaration that the mass digital and photocopying of literary works by students and lecturers from photocopier machines for teaching and learning at their respective libraries and at the various faculties and by private copy shops on Defendants campuses without a license first obtained by the Defendants constitutes an infringement of the exclusive Reproduction Rights' of Authors and Publishers under the copy rights laws of Ghana (ii) A Declaration that the Plaintiffs are entitled to compensation as assessed by the Court from the Defendants for loss of reprographic fees due its members for each academic year from the 2004/2005 academic year until the determination of the suit.. (iii) Perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants from providing photocopy servic...