APM World approves fair use of content by Creatives amidst copyright violation

Ghanaian-born creative entrepreneur now based in New York City, APM World, has approved of the fair use of work by other creators with a strong belief that he would be found eventually.

“I don’t get worried about other creators plagiarising my work because once there’s money involved, they are going to find me because one can be sued,” he explains.

The International Photographer and Filmmaker, whose recent work was the cover image of Burna Boy’s “I told Them” Mag and Grammy-nominated album, however, added an instructive note: “I don’t photomark my pictures. But I have an invisible photomark and people actually call to confirm and clarify with me. My work is about storytelling, colours and angles.

This comes on the back of several copyright and intellectual lawsuits filed against creatives who entertain plagiarism in the space without clearing with the right parties involved.

Basking in all the glory on a personal level during a media round in Accra in January 2024, APM World said he feels great to see his creative works around the world.

“We don’t capture ourselves as photographers, but I try to capture myself once in a while—there’s an APM Docu-series in the pipeline and that will be mind-blowing.”

“And in fact, Ghanaians are the most pivotal people when it comes to creative works around the world and having this conversation alone shows that I’m making a point,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Afrobeats scene has not only been a sound or music genre but also deeply inspired by photography and filmmaking—one of the most notable ever.

The typical Afrobeat fan can be notoriously protective of not only the artist they support but their appearance in photos during shows, music videos, at the tiny desks, cover arts and tours as a whole.

What APM World, a Ghanaian-American creative director, says he wants to achieve with his role of documenting the Afrobeats scene is so apt for globalising the sound for the rest of the world.”The stories are in the eyes of the artists. They can’t forget it and therefore, as a creative, I can’t hide it,” he explains.

“There is a lot to capture in the heat of the Afrobeat shows and moments,” states APM World, and he even looks out for capturing moments that lend credence to his previous experiences.

“An artist will always leave a story on stage. I have a storyboard for each artist I work with. And so, before I shoot an artist, I’m looking at their interviews, their previous shows, and even sometimes, I go through my previous shoots to see what I missed and what I need to amend.”

“My work is not just about picking a camera and being around these celebrities because I’ve put myself in places that strategically got me here,” he clarifies.

All of which is to say that APM always possessed a high tolerance for branding, positioning and marketing himself. More importantly, APM World puts a tremendous amount of money where his mouth is to ensure his USPs (i.e. storytelling, colours and angles) shine through his output for artists, causing fans to constantly swipe left.

Since 2015, APM World has been the brain behind some of the spectacular photographs and films of Afrobeat superstars. His recent work was the cover image of Burnaboy’s “ItoldThem” album and mag.

His photography hobby transitioned into an international brand when he started directing creative works for African superstars, including Burnaboy, Davido, Asake, Bnxn (fka. Buju), Stonebwoy, Wizkid, Black Sherif, Ruger, Kwesi Arthur, Gyakie, Show Dem Camp, M.anifest, and Firebwoy, among others, during their American and European tours, especially in New York since 2015.

The international creative underscored the need to document Afrobeats and iconic moments through his analogy of Neil Armstrong, who walked on the moon. “There was a camera deployed to film it with someone behind it”, he states, expressing the relevance of photography and an emptiness about failing to document the heydays of our Ghanaian musicians, which of course he was part of: “That would have been a huge amount of money to rake in on Netflix alone.”

APM World won for himself the notable Ernie Paniccioli Award for Best Photographer by the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) in 2023. The international filmmaker and photographer has been involved in creative projects for Festivals & Concerts such as Rolling Loud, I told Them Tour, Twice As Tall Tour, Coachella, Flytime Festival, Afro Punk, Afro Future, Afro Nation, Yemi Alade Concerts, 5th Dimension Tour, Governor’s Ball, Hip Hop @50, Canadian and South American tours, NBA, NHL and many others.

Unlike many creative directors who have been around artists, capturing the right moments beyond limits is not always a given. APM World actually has a different view on the creative freedom issues of creators like him face.

The APM World photomark, according to him, is invisible but strikes chords — “storytelling, colours and angles,” he couched. He does not put himself in a box as a photographer because he is a creative director and a videographer too. “I tell stories and create NFTs and presets. I take courses in the field to learn new trends”.

APM World has a pipe dream of hosting a gallery show and unveiling an already-finished documentary. “There’s a documentary about my first project titled “Hopes and Dreams”, I filmed from 2015 — December 2019, that tells a compelling story about kids in Jamestown,” he revealed, while intentionally keeping a little more under the radar—for now at least.

“This year, we are shooting 500 horses”, states APM World, and even when he is poked a little harder, he still keeps some of the inner workings close to his chest: “I would rather people follow me on this journey and not let out too many details.”

Around the time of the interview, Safo Newman, a new highlife sensation, was making waves on social media with a single dubbed “Akokoa”, attracting media attention and top hit-lists on Apple Music. APM World expressed satisfaction with his sound, his openness to work with him and his upcoming hip-hop star, “Xlimkid.”

As to whether the music inspired many of his shots, APM World referenced Burna Boy, Stonebwoy, Yemi Alade, Black Sherif, and Bnxn among others.

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