[ 2012-05-13 ]

Issue Of Copyright Alien To Us - Asiedu Nketia
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia - NDC General-Secretary
The leadership of the National Democratic
Congress (NDC) says the issue of copyright is
alien to the party and has no foundation in any
law that governs political parties.

According to the party’s General Secretary, Mr
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the law on copyright did
not extend to the establishment of political
parties.

“Even if it exists, I do not see how a copyright
registered in April 2010 can extend retroactively
to cover things that were done in 1992,” he said.

Reacting to threats by a former First Lady, Nana
Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, to place a ban on the
use of the NDC’s umbrella logo if the leadership
continued to disrespect the ideals of the party
and her family, Mr Nketia said the NDC met all
conditions provided by the Political Parties Law
before it was accepted as a party by the Electoral
Commission (EC).

Those conditions, he said, included party symbols,
colours and a constitution which were met by the
promoters of the NDC and, therefore, paved the way
for the party’s registration on June 10, 1992,
with the EC issuing a final certificate approving
of the symbol and other requirements.

Following the registration, he said, the NDC had
operated as a legal political party and
participated in all elections using the umbrella
symbol since 1992.

“If anybody has any issue about any symbol of any
party that seems to be infringing her right, the
place to go is the EC,” Mr Nketia explained.

Mrs Rawlings, in a letter written to the NDC
Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei, said she held the
copyright to the logo, known as the ‘Akatamanso’,
which is the NDC symbol.

The letter, signed by her counsel, Mr Stanley
Ahorlu, said the logo was Mrs Rawlings’s
intellectual property.

Mr Nketia, however, said the NDC had no cause to
worry, saying the party might have had cause to
worry if the EC was to have communicated any
defect in the party’s registration to the party.

“Does it mean chiefs were not using umbrellas even
before the formation of the NDC?” he queried.

While dismissing assertions that recent
occurrences could have dire consequences on the
party’s chances of retaining power, Mr Nketia
called on NDC supporters to ignore the supposed
claims and focus on the activities leading to the
December elections.

He also dismissed media reports that the party
held an emergency meeting Friday on the issue,
saying, “The issue cannot be distractive enough to
occasion an emergency meeting.”

“We are not a party that is made up of
conformists, since we have emerged from a
conformist into a fully fledged democratic party
with space for people to freely express their
opinions,” Mr Nketia said.

He said nevertheless, the National Executive
Council would be informed of the letter at its
next functional executive meeting slated for next
Tuesday.

Source - Daily Graphic

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