Reducing Copying and Copyright Infringement: The Case of Ghana Institute of Journalism

Abstract

The paper researched copying and copyright infringement among students at the Ghana Institute of Journalism. The quantitative research used a questionnaire to conveniently collect data from two-hundred (200) level 400 students. The Reference Librarian of the University was also interviewed to supplement data collected from the students. Analysis of the data revealed that even though majority of the students are aware of the Copyright Law, infringement of the law still exists among students. This phenomenon has been attributed to the unavailability of the information resources on the market. The expensive nature of some of the information resources have also been identified as a reason for photocopying, which makes it cheaper in acquiring the material. It was also found that the Institute has a guideline for referencing information sources. Besides the referencing guideline handbook, students of GIJ are given some education on Copyright issues by the Library. It is visible from the study that GIJ has measures in place to protect intellectual property among students. Students proposed severe punishment for those who infringe the law. Students proposed punitive measures such as the cancellation and deduction of marks from their overall score obtained from an assignment or an examination. The paper suggests continuous education among students and reprographers on campus about copying and copyright.