Ghanaian Stars Urged To Protect Creative Rights Beyond Fame

Ghanaian athletes, musicians, actors and other public figures are being urged to treat their creative work and personal brands as long-term assets, not short-lived fame.

Listowell Yesu Bukarson, Chief Executive Officer of LYB Sports & Entertainment, says many sports and entertainment personalities lose out financially because they do not properly protect and manage the intellectual property attached to their work.

Speaking in Columbus, Ohio, during the launch of LYB Sports & Entertainment, Mr Bukarson said the issue has become urgent because too many celebrated figures struggle after their active years, even though their music, performances, names, images and other creative outputs could keep earning income for them and their families.

"Any and every creativity becomes your intellectual property. And you have rights over your creativity. And the law gives you that power to feed off your creativity," Mr Bukarson said.

Creative work can outlive active careers

Mr Bukarson said the short nature of many careers in sports and entertainment makes intellectual property protection even more important. A footballer may have only a limited number of peak years. A musician or actor may also go through phases of public attention. But the works they create, the brands they build and the rights attached to those works can remain valuable long after the spotlight shifts.

He said this is the part many personalities fail to plan for. During their active years, they may focus on performances, appearances, sponsorships and immediate earnings. Yet without proper systems for rights management, royalties, licensing and estate planning, the financial value of their work can be exploited by others or lost entirely.

For musicians, intellectual property can include songs, recordings, lyrics, stage names, images and performance rights. For athletes, it can include image rights, branding, endorsements, content, memorabilia and other commercial uses of their name and likeness. For actors, comedians and presenters, scripts, performances, catchphrases, productions and brand identities can all carry economic value.

Mr Bukarson said the law gives creators power over their original works, but that power only becomes useful when the creator understands it and takes steps to enforce it.

"You have intellectual property rights over your music for as long as they live on this planet. And 70 years after they die," he explained.

Daddy Lumba example highlights wider industry gap

Mr Bukarson used the late Ghanaian highlife legend Daddy Lumba as an example of why creative rights must be taken seriously. He said songs made by an artiste during their lifetime remain their property, and any unauthorised commercial use of those works can amount to infringement.

According to him, the protection does not disappear when the creator dies. Ownership and control may pass to the estate, heirs or other lawful beneficiaries for the legally recognised period. He said this should make artistes and their families more deliberate about documentation, inheritance planning and professional management of creative assets.

"For instance, in the Daddy Lumba example, the law says all the songs he made, once he was alive, were all his property. And anybody who does anything with the music without recourse to Lumba and his management will be infringing upon his intellectual property," Mr Bukarson said.

He added that after a creator's death, the estate may still hold rights for 70 years, raising important questions about whether Ghana's creative industry players understand the provisions available to them under the law.

The concern goes beyond one artiste or one family. Across Ghana's entertainment and sports sectors, disputes over royalties, unauthorised sampling, image use, recordings, contracts and ownership have become regular sources of tension. Mr Bukarson's argument is that better education and stronger professional support can help reduce these conflicts while allowing talent to benefit properly from what they create.

LYB promises support for talent protection

Mr Bukarson said LYB Sports & Entertainment has been launched to help address the gap by supporting creative talents and sports personalities with expertise and resources to protect, manage and maximise their intellectual property.

He described the company as a consortium positioned to assist people whose rights have been abused or whose works are vulnerable to unauthorised exploitation. The goal, he said, is to help artistes, athletes and other creatives earn what is due them during their active careers and after they step away from the stage, field or screen.

"Now this dream is coming from the position where people's intellectual property rights have been abused. So, we are saying, we are here as a consortium; if you identify with us, we are going to protect your intellectual property rights," he said.

LYB Sports & Entertainment is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, with offices in Accra and London. The company says it is focused on developing talent, creating experiences and inspiring communities through sports and entertainment. It also aims to use innovation, excellence and strategic partnerships to shape opportunities across Africa and beyond.

Mr Bukarson also disclosed plans for the LYB Sports & Entertainment Investment Summit. The summit is expected to bring together stakeholders from sports, entertainment and business to examine investment opportunities, promote intellectual property protection and equip creatives and athletes with knowledge for sustainable careers.

Former Ghanaian footballers Charles Asampong Banie Taylor, Nana Ahin Duah, Emmanuel Osei Kufour, Aziz Ansah, Yussif Chibsah, Sadick Adams and Samad Oppong were among the personalities present at the launch event.

The message from the launch was clear: fame may open doors, but ownership keeps value in the hands of the people who created it. For Ghana's creative and sporting talents, the next major career move may not only be another hit song, match-winning performance or endorsement deal. It may be the decision to protect the rights that make those achievements valuable.