Digital products and piracy in Ghana

In Ghana, there is still a pervasive culture of not paying for digital products created by others. For example, we frequently listen to music for free on Spotify without ever considering paying for a premium account, and we often watch movies on Netflix using other people’s passwords. Additionally, we download software for free from torrent sites, and when one person buys an eBook, everyone else shares it without contributing financially.

Many people feel that because these products are intangible, they are not worth paying for. Unfortunately, this mentality means that designers are often poorly compensated for their hard work. Furthermore, there are no stringent laws in place to combat piracy, and even if such laws existed, they are often not enforced.

This raises the question: are we living in a den of thieves?

The good news is that we can change. We need to start by being more honest as individuals. Just because nobody is watching does not mean that we can take what does not belong to us. We must also recognize that creating digital products takes significant investment in terms of money, energy, time, and other resources. Creators deserve to recoup their investment and earn a living from their work. After all, people need to be fed.