– Local artist claims intellectual property for show title

Long-standing member of the local entertainment industry, Randolph Critchlow, is claiming intellectual property rights for the name of the local show “Days Like Dese” in a recent feud that has surfaced between him and the show’s producer, Gem Madhoo-Nascimento. Three years ago, the two personalities came together as writer/director and producer, respectively.

“In the creation of the show, the initial stages, there was no name to it. It’s a very specific and narrow area I am talking about. I am not claiming rights to the show, but I am saying to her the use of the name is essentially my intellectual property,” Critchlow explained.

Acceding that he did not contact Madhoo-Nascimento about her decision to move on with the show without him, Critchlow took to social media recently to issue a “public notice” to the effect that he was claiming creative rights to the show’s name, along with any royalties associated with its use.
“I only made the post because of how it was done. You basically decide to not contact me… I felt aggrieved at the fact that it basically moved forward without me being informed. And I am thinking this is something that came out of my head,” he expressed.

Madhoo, a well-respected producer for some 39 years now, told the Buzz that during Season Two of the Show in 2018, Critchlow wrote the first three episodes. “Then suddenly he wouldn’t answer his phone nor return calls and I had to source other scriptwriters, including myself, to provide the remaining three scripts for that season to satisfy my deadlines.”

She said Critchlow was paid 40 percent of the proceeds from sponsorship received for his creative contribution to the production, despite him not contributing in any way to the acquisition of sponsors.

“He was not very efficient in providing the scripts for the production. In connection with the name, it should be stated that it was one of many names proposed and that was chosen. This was done in the context of his employment in the production, so how can that be separated?” The production was presented by GEMS Theatre Productions.

Against this backdrop, Critchlow believes that the country needs an umbrella body to look out for the interests and rights of local performers when issues arise.
The absence of copyright laws in Guyana makes it difficult to iron out certain issues, with one overseas-based Guyanese producer even opining that this may be the reason that the ‘big shots’ in the business prefer not to come here to do business with local artistes.

Critchlow believes that there is a lack of will among the artistes themselves in forming such an organisation. In fact, he has been an advocate for a ‘performers union’ for some time now, but has managed to make no headway with it.

There is also a lack of cooperation in the industry, Critchlow pointed out, as there has been attempts in the past where huge gatherings were discussing the creation of such a body, but nothing happened afterwards.

“There is a lot of competing interest and some persons may not agree that this is a good thing for the creative industry at this time because it would put a lot of restrictions,” he told the Buzz in an interview earlier this week. “I think this is important so that issues like these, we would have a body to defend them. Nothing would be done without a proper contract, so in the event of issues like these, there is an organisation that is looking out for your interest. At the end of the day, these things happen and we have no representation.”