Ghanaian Entertainers and Athletes Urged to Safeguard Intellectual Property Rights

Showbiz and sports personalities in Ghana have been encouraged to take active steps to protect their intellectual property rights and ensure financial security long after their careers peak. Listowell Yesu Bukarson, CEO of LYB Sports & Entertainment, warned that many entertainers and athletes underestimate the lasting value of their creative works, leaving them vulnerable to financial hardship once their active years end.

Speaking at a launch event in Columbus, Ohio, Mr Bukarson highlighted that while careers in entertainment and sport are often brief, intellectual property can generate income for decades when properly managed. He pointed to the example of late highlife legend Daddy Lumba, emphasising that creators own automatic rights to their original works. Under law, artists retain rights to their creations during their lifetime, and their estates maintain those rights for 70 years after death—a provision many Ghanaian creatives fail to understand or utilise.

"Any and every creativity becomes your intellectual property," Mr Bukarson explained. "The law gives you that power to feed off your creativity. You have intellectual property rights over your music for as long as they live on this planet. And 70 years after they die."

LYB Sports & Entertainment, headquartered in Columbus with offices in Accra and London, is launching an initiative to support Ghanaian talents and athletes in protecting and maximising the value of their intellectual property. The firm aims to prevent unauthorised exploitation of creative works and ensure creators receive proper financial compensation throughout their careers and beyond.

The company has announced plans for the LYB Sports & Entertainment Investment Summit, bringing together stakeholders from sports, entertainment, and business sectors to explore investment opportunities and equip creatives with knowledge needed for sustainable careers. Former Ghanaian football stars including Charles Asampong Banie Taylor, Nana Ahin Duah, Emmanuel Osei Kufour, and Aziz Ansah attended the Columbus event.