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Controversial US-based Ghanaian media personality Valentina Nana Agyeiwaa, widely known as Afia Schwarzenegger, has reportedly lodged a complaint with American actor and filmmaker Tyler Perry over the unauthorised broadcast of his latest Netflix film, Straw, by certain television stations in Ghana.
In a social media post, the former UTV presenter revealed that she contacted Tyler Perry via direct message on Instagram, expressing appreciation for his new film, which has received critical acclaim and considerable attention since its release. She went on to inform him that a Ghanaian TV station had aired the movie Straw without permission or licensing, essentially pirating the content and broadcasting it freely.
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Afia Schwarzenegger
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Afia Schwarzenegger stated that she was alarmed by the development and felt compelled to notify Perry about the infringement. She also shared her contact details in the message and offered further assistance should he wish to pursue legal action against the Ghanaian broadcasters involved. According to her, she has compiled a list of local TV channels that had allegedly downloaded the movie from Netflix and screened it without authorisation.
In a rather bold move, Afia added that she would welcome a $1 million payment from Tyler Perry in exchange for helping to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Her intervention follows the circulation of footage showing Ghanaian channel Light TV airing Straw, which stars Taraji P. Henson, sparking backlash online.
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Copyright infringement by Ghanaian television stations has become a growing concern in recent months. Nigerian actress and filmmaker Bimbo Ademoye previously accused some Ghanaian broadcasters of illegally airing her films. Her outcry caught the attention of National Film Authority Executive Secretary Kafui Danku and Minister for Communications, Digitalisation and Innovation, Sam George, both of whom pledged to investigate and resolve the issue.
Similarly, Ghanaian actress Juliet Ibrahim has also accused Pemsan TV and other stations of pirating her films uploaded to her official YouTube channel, airing them without permission or compensation.