Writing in the Canadian Epoch Times, ("Colonialism has left a stigma on Ghana's culture and traditional goods. What a shame"), Zoë Ackah writes a really depressing account of her experiences as a visitor to Ghana. She discovered that "the vast majority of 'African fabric' is now made in China". She continues:
"I decided to buy some of the cheap Togo fabric people sell on their heads. Ghanaians go to neighbouring Togo to buy fabric. Somehow, I though maybe the Togolese still make fabric. Stupid me. I later learned the Togo fabric is actually smuggled into Ghana. Why smuggled? It is a matter of copyright infringement.
You see African fabric print design is highly competitive. As soon as a fabric design from Ghana is selling well, someone will take a piece of it to China, have the print cheaply duplicated, and run yards of the knock-off at half the price. I guess the Hollywood elite aren't the only ones being bled dry by Chinese copyright infringement. They're just able to afford lawyers a team of public relations experts".
1 comments:
Write commentsThe chinese knock offs are a definite threat to the cloth made in Ghana. Be sure to check the salvedge edge of the cloth to confirm that it is either ATL or GTP made. As far as I know they are the two remaining factories in Ghana.Their cloth is of superior quality and the designs are superb. They also provide local jobs.Please check out
Replyhttp://www.anansevillage.com//index.php?cPath=41&osCsid=22682ba7ad6106444a499300eb6c1881 to purchase in the USA.