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Tag: Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON)

  • Tony Okoroji, Shina Peters, others form new management board of COSON

    Tony Okoroji, the Chairman of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) on Tuesday attributed its development and success to the resilience of Nigerian musicians.

    Okoroji said this in a in a communiqué signed by Tolu Balogun, COSON’s Communication Officer and made available to newsmen in Lagos.

    Balogun in the communiqué stated that Okoroji made the remarks after he was re-elected the chairman of the reconstituted COSON’s management board.

    The communiqué stated that other members of board are: Shina Peters, Kenny Saint Brown, Richard Cole, Maureen Ejezie Uso, Sharon Esco Wilson, Bright Chimezie, Kofi Idowu Nuel, Uche Emeka Paul and Olusegun Omoyayi.

    The chairman said that it was the difference in characters, ages, experiences and unique locations of every member of COSON that made the institution a true national one.

    “The strength of COSON lies with all of you, in every state of the Nigerian nation where you come from as long as music is played there.

    READ ALSO: Updated: COSON loses suit to stop MCSN as collecting society

    “I am sure that many are surprised that with everything that has been thrown at us, COSON is working.

    “COSON is working because we have built an institution with significant resilience and strong roots. COSON is working because there is trust and confidence between the members and the leaders.

    “COSON is working not just because of our total dedication to the cause but because of the blessings and grace of the Almighty,” he said.

    Okoroji said that he had endured countless challenges in the past so that COSON would continue to thrive.

    `However, I have endured them because of my commitment to our cause and my determination that COSON should not be divided into factions.

    “My dedication to the COSON cause is not because of a title or because of personal wealth.

    “I verily believe that the true worth of a man is not in what he takes but in what he gives,” he said.

    He advised those who were in opposition to the leadership of COSON to have a change of hearts for the good of all

  • NCC suspends operating license of COSON

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has suspended the Operating License of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) as a collective management organization for music and sound recordings.

    COSON’s suspension was done in line with the provisions of Regulation 19 (2) of the Copyright Regulation of 2007.

    NCC’s Director-General, Mr. Afam Ezekude, announced the suspension in a statement made available to reporters on Monday in Abuja.

    Mr. Ezekude said the suspension was in response to the continued failure and refusal of COSON to carry out the directive of the commission.

    He said aside undermining the efficient administration of COSON to the utter disadvantage of authors and right owners in the music industry, the continued defiance of COSON’s management to the mandates of NCC was a clear sign of its reluctance to operate within the framework of the Copyright Act.

    The statement reads: “The latter directive became necessary in view of the need to safeguard funds belonging to owners of Copyright in Music and Sound Recordings, whose works are administered by COSON, and to enable the Commission undertake necessary compliance checks in line with relevant provisions of the Copyright Regulations 2007.

    “It can be recalled that the decrees issued by the Commission to the Management of COSON not to implement certain decisions taken at the General Meeting held on December 19, 2017, in response to the petition made by the Governing Board of COSON, was blatantly rejected by the management of COSON and detailed in the letter received by the Commission in February 2018 signed by the General Manager of COSON.

    “Other activities of Management of COSON which are glaring in the public domain have also confirmed the refusal of the Management to comply with the dictates of the Commission as it is obliged to do according to the laws and regulation guiding its operations.

    “In the letter issued by the Commission, COSON is demanded to henceforth desist from negotiating and granting Copyright Licences, collecting Royalties on behalf of Copyright owners, or otherwise performing any functions of a Collective Management Organization, except otherwise directed by the Commission.

    “The Commission in a separate letter dated May 3, 2018 also directed the Management of COSON to refrain from making further withdrawals or expenses from the funds of COSON, within the period of suspension, except for purposes of meeting personnel emoluments. Other expenses of COSON, outside personnel emolument may however be made upon permission from the Director-General of the Commission.

    “Henceforth, the General Manager of COSON has been directed to forward to the Director-General, NCC, within 7 days, details of all bank accounts operated by COSON.

    “The Commission has therefore advised the Management of COSON to comply with the mandates of the Commission, the refusal of which will attract further sanctions on it in accordance with the provisions of the law.”

    Read Also:COSON loses suit to stop MCSN as collecting society

  • Updated: COSON loses suit to stop MCSN as collecting society

    Updated: COSON loses suit to stop MCSN as collecting society

    A Federal High Court in Lagos has held that the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) is an authorised Collective Management Organisation (CMO) for musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria.

    Justice Ibrahim Buba gave the ruling Tuesday in a suit filed by the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) Ltd seeking to stop MCSN from operating as a CMO.

    The judge held that MCSN was validly authorised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to collect royalties on behalf of artistes.

    The court also ruled that contrary to COSON’s claim, the NCC is authorised to approve more than one CMO to collect royalties for artistes.

    In another instance, Justice Buba held that Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), lawfully directed NCC to withdraw the cases it filed against the MCSN.

    He dismissed for want of merit, COSON’s entire suit against first defendant MCSN, second defendant NCC and third defendant, the AGF.

    The judge, however, vowed to report MCSN’s counsel, Romeo Michael, to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee for alleged abuse of court process.

    Earlier, Michael brought an application seeking to stall the judgment, but Justice Buba suo moto ruled against the motion, describing it as a ploy to arrest the day’s business.

    The judgment brings to an end several controversies surrounding the case.

    COSON filed the suit marked FHC/L/CS/1259/2017 last April, seeking a declaration that NCC failed to comply with Section 39(2) (d) of the Copyright Act 2004 and Copyright (CMO) Regulations 2007, when it registered MCSN.

    It prayed the court to hold that the registration was thus void “ab initio and of no effect whatsoever.”

    It also sought, among others, a perpetual injunction restraining NCC from approving MCSN as a CMO.

    This was opposed by the defendants.

    Following hearing, judgment in the suit was slated for last December 6, but it was subsequently adjourned till December 14.

    However, on December 14, Justice Buba announced that the case file had been taken from him and that he had no choice but to adjourn the judgment indefinitely.

    But on Monday, the parties were notified that judgment would be delivered Tuesday.

     

    Read Also: COSON rejoices as case file returns to Justice Ibrahim Buba

  • FG committed to developing creative industry – Lai Mohammed

    FG committed to developing creative industry – Lai Mohammed

    The Federal Government( FG ) says it is irrevocably committed to growing the creative industry in view of its importance to the economy.

    The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the statement while declaring open the African International Film Festival in Lagos on Sunday night.

    He said the government recognised the great potential of the industry to grow the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and had been supporting the sector to realise its potential.

    Mohammed, who described the creative industry as the next oil, expressed delight that players in the industry had already placed the country on the global map with their great talents.

    He said the government was proud of Nollywood and its achievements, and was taking steps to propel the industry to greater heights.

    “The Nigerian government is proud of Nollywood and we are engaging stakeholders constantly to grow the sector.

    “I will reiterate a few of the initiatives we have pursued to grow the sector.

    “We are pursuing single digit interest loans towards infrastructural development in the sector.

    “We are supporting about 100 community cinemas evenly spread across the country.

    “We are almost closing on a world class pre and post production facility using existing infrastructure.

    “We want to ensure that such world class facility is located in each geo-political zone to boost movie productions and other contents.

    “Finally, in the area of digital television, we are ensuring that set-up boxes are enabled to allow customers in about 30 million homes to access and buy our movies for the development of the sector,” he said.

    Mohammed said the African International Film Festival had contributed to the growth of the sector on the continent by allowing Africans to tell their own stories.

    He said the festival had helped practitioners to showcase their talents and also helped in the area of capacity in the sector.

    Alhaji Lai Mohammed said he and the government identified with the festival in view of its potential to take the movie industry to greater heights.

    Sen. Godswill Akpabio was among prominent personalities present at the opening.

    Also, a galaxy of local and international movie stars as well as technical experts and showbiz personalities witnessed the opening.

    Earlier, the minister, at a programme organised by the Copyright Society of Nigeria ( COSON ) tagged “COSON in the Church,’’ said the government was committed to protecting intellectual property in the creative industry.

    Mohammed said piracy was a threat to the development of the industry and that government was taking steps to end the menace.

    He said that the government had set up a task force to check the activities of people who pirated creative works and the step was yielding results.

    “The task force has made a few arrests including the Kingpin of Piracy in Alabama and he is currently facing prosecution.

    “We will continue to do more and ensure we deal with the problem,’’ he said.

    The minister commended COSON for its efforts at ensuring that artists were paid what was due to them by those who used their works.

    Mohammed said this would ensure that the beneficiaries did not labour in vain but reap from their talents.

    He said the government would continue to support COSON in its cause to uplift the creative industry, and was was doing its best to attract the much needed investments in the sector.

    The President of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji, said the essence of the programme was to pray for peace in Nigeria and for the country to reach its potential.

    Okoroji said Nigeria had everything to be great, saying that with prayers and doing the right thing, the country would attain greatness.

    According to him, the creative sector is a major part of the country’s life and will continue to support the country in achieving greatness.

    Prayers were offered for the progress of the country at the programme, while gospel artistes took turns to entertain guests.

    NAN

  • No Music Day 2017: COSON, music industry chooses Sept. 1

    No Music Day 2017: COSON, music industry chooses Sept. 1

    Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) on Wednesday said that it would collaborate with stakeholders in Nigerian music industry to mark the 2017 No Music Day on Sept 1.

    The Chairman of COSON, Mr Tony Okoroji said this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    This year’s event theme is: ‘‘Music for National Stability’’.

    “Every year, in marking ‘No Music Day’, our objective has been to engage the Nigerian people and the various governments on the contributions of Nigerian music to the socio-economic development.

    “It is a day the music industry has dedicated to bringing the attention of the Nigerian nation to the widespread infringement of the rights of stakeholders in the music industry.

    ‘‘The event will among other vital things, activate a forceful campaign against hate speech in Nigeria, which is threatening ethnic harmony and peace in the country.

    “It is also meant to enhance the vigorous promotion of the Nigerian Music Industry to contribute meaningfully to the nation’s GDP,’’ he said.

    Okorocha said that the “No Music Day” 2017 celebration was aimed at building significant public awareness and support for the new national fight against piracy and undermining investments in Nigerian creative industry.

    He said that the day would also be used to emphasis the necessity to fully deploy the substantial comparative advantage, which Nigeria possessed in its fast growing music industry.

    “I have no doubt that if the right environment is created in Nigeria, the enormous creative energy exhibited by our young people will be released to the amazement of the world.

    “I urge the media and Nigerians to cooperate with COSON to mark the day for its essence to be realised.

    “I hope that this coalition will receive the support of everyone to unleash the creative ingenuity of our people and create a better tomorrow for Nigerian children,” Okoroji urged.

    According to him, in commemoration of “No Music Day”, broadcast stations have been requested not to broadcast music from 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 a.m. on that day.

    He said that stations were asked to dedicate the time belt to the broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and discussions that focused on the rights of creative people.

    Newspapers and magazines across the country are also requested to publish special features on these issues.

    The “No Music Day” of COSON, which has become an annual event, started in 2009 in Lagos by a group of Nigerian artistes.

    The day was marked with rallies and a weeklong hunger strike, to protest the cruel abuse of the rights of artistes in Nigeria.

    In commemorating the day, the public is requested to tune into different domestic radio and television stations on Sept. 1, to engage members of COSON and other music industry stakeholders.

  • FG to stamp out piracy – Lai Mohammed

    FG to stamp out piracy – Lai Mohammed

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed declared on Monday in Abuja that the Federal Government is walking its talk and taking concrete steps to stamp out piracy of intellectual property.

    The minister said this when he declared open the first interface meeting of the Police and major stakeholders in the creative industry to fight piracy.

    “This meeting is evident that government’s commitment to fighting piracy and placing the creative industry in its rightful position is not just about talk.

    “We are carrying along all the stakeholders in the industry and my job here is to inaugurate this meeting.

    “We believe that with the caliber of stakeholders here and two Deputy Inspectors-General of Police (DIG) representing the Nigeria Police Force, you will be able to agree on the way to put an end to piracy,’’ he said.

    The minister stressed that piracy, if left unchecked would become a monster that would destroy the entire creative industry.

    He recalled that one of the major challenges raised at the Creative Industry Summit held recently in Lagos was the menace of piracy.

    Mohammed said that in implementing some of the resolutions at the summit, he led a team of stakeholders to the Inspector-General of Police, to seek collaboration with the law enforcement agency in fighting piracy.

    The minister added that the aftermath of the interaction with the Police was the interface meeting on ending piracy.

    He tasked the meeting to ensure that whatever form of enforcement to be adopted, it must be regular and sustained.

    Speaking in the same vein, Mr Adedayo Coker, the Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board, said that the interface meeting was an indication that the industry’s players were ready for the fight against piracy.

    Chief Tony Okoroji, the Chaiman of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) said “It is a historic day for the creative industry and a warning for pirates to go and look for something else to do’’.

    “This team will collaborate with the Police to ensure that wherever pirate may be in the country, they will fish them out and make life uncomfortable for them,’’ he said.

    Igwe Gabosky, one of the pioneer Nollywood distributors seized the opportunity of the meeting to narrate how pirate wrecked his company and made him bankrupt.

    He said he was one of the beneficiaries of the Bank of Industry (BoI)’ intervention fund in developing the creative industry.

    Gabosky said he was empowered by BoI with over one billion naira to create the biggest media distribution company for intellectual property in Africa.

    “The first job I was to distribute was “Half of a Yellow Sun’’.

    “But, before I could finish printing, pirates had released the fake copies of the film on the streets and sold them for little money.

    “The second job was “30 Days in Atlanta’’ by AY; Pirate also took over and distributed pirated copies of the films on the streets and AY was crying.

    “The third was October 1, by Kunle Afolayan; I was in South Africa negotiating for ITS distribution when I was called and told that the film was already on the streets.

    “The activities of the pirates crumbled the distribution companies and the N500 million I had already collected from BoI, I could not pay back till date.

    “The Bank is now trying to take over all my property which I used as collateral,’’ he said.

    Gabosky said that many people in the industry had died because of frustration inflicted on them by pirates.

    “We know these people that are pirating these works; Piracy is like terrorism.

    “If you go to Alaba International market in Lagos, there are people that believe that the market is a sovereign state inside Nigeria where copyright laws cannot be enforced.

    “I am glad today that the Nigeria Police has risen up and decided to answer us,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Police was represented at the meeting by two DIGs – Mr Hyacinth Medugu , the DIG in charge of Criminal Intelligence and Investigation and Habila Joshak the DIG in charge of Operations.

    According to Medugu, pirates are killers who send the owners of pirated intellectual works to early graves and they should be treated as murderers.

    He gave assurances and commitment of the I-G to work with the stakeholders to stamp out piracy.

    Some of the stakeholders at the meeting included a Nollywood producer, Prince Tony Princewill and the President of Motion Picture Practitioners Association of Nigeria, Abdullahi Maikan-Usman.

    Also at the meeting were Ms Tundun Aderibigbe from House of Tara, a beauty outfit and Prof. Bankole Sodipo, a lawyer.

  • ‘Creative industry can boost Nigerian economy if properly harnessed’

    ‘Creative industry can boost Nigerian economy if properly harnessed’

    Mrs Yewande Sadiku, Director-General (D-G), Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), on Monday said that the creative industry has the potential to generate more income that could boost  the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.

    Sadiku said this  at the opening of a two-day Creative Nigeria Summit at the Eko Hotels and Suites Convention Centre in Lagos themed, “Financing the Film, Television and Music Industries’’.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports the summit which started on Monday would end tomorrow.

    She said the theme focused on understanding the creative industry better so that it could be better explored by government and the organised private sector to generate more revenue for the country.

    “The creative industry contributes about 1.4 per cent of the country’s GDP but it has the capacity to contribute more if it is properly understood.

    “The industry creates employment and can be used as a veritable tool to educate its viewers concerning relevant matters which cut across all section of life.’’

    Sadiku said that the government should not be directly involved in funding the creative sector but its duty was to provide an enabling environment for the industry to blossom.

    “The government can assist in the development of the industry by providing infrastructure that will enable the industry to generate more money.’’

    The NIPC boss gave an instance those movies as: ‘Half of the Yellow Sun’ and ‘Wedding Party’ can bring yield more revenue if more cinemas would be made available in the country.

    “There is also the difficulty in getting licences to show films in the cinemas which the government can make more accessible.’’

    Sadiku said that the government could also attract wealthy Nigerians to invest in the industry for better management of taxes.

    Meanwhile, Mr Tokunbo Akande, the Special Adviser to Gov. Akinwumi Ambode on Lagos Internal Revenue Service (LIRS), said an understanding of the value-chain system of the industry would help pinpoint areas of support from the government.

    Akande identified the value-chain system as creativity, aggregation, distribution and consumption as important areas where investment would stimulate growth.

    “Direct funding is not really necessary from the government but an understanding of the value-chain system and how it works will help focus on area of investments.

    “The government can also provide incentives to film producers to encourage the production of quality movies in the country,’’ he said.

    Similarly, Mr Tony Okoroji, Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), said that effective leadership in the industry was necessary to curb piracy.

    “The protection of intellectual properties cannot be over-emphasised because this accounts for the foundation where creativity stems from’’.

    Okoroji said that the deployment of stronger legislature and technology could also help reduce piracy in the country.

  • COSON to honour late MKO Abiola on June 12

    COSON to honour late MKO Abiola on June 12

    Mr Chibueze Okereke, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), has said that the organisation will honour late Chief MKO Abiola on June 12 at the new COSON House, Ikeja.

    Okereke told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Monday that the honour would be in form of a lecture.

    The title of the lecture will be: “June 12 and the Lessons of History.’’

    He said that the Publisher of Ovation Magazine, Mr Dele Momodu, would deliver the lecture.

    “Dele Momodu, who was a key figure in the June 12 Movement will give an historical account of that day.

    “He will be speaking to a top selection of the media, artists, political and human rights activists and young people,’’ he said.

    NAN reports that on June 12, 1993, Nigerians voted for the then Chief MKO Abiola, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic party (SDP) against Chief Bashir Tofa of the National Republic Convention (NRC).

    The then military president, Gen, Ibrahim Babaginda, annulled the presidential elections held on JUne 12, 1993 adjudged by local and foreign observers as the most credible in the annals of Nigeria.

    NAN also  reports that MKO who was detained by another military head of state, Gen. Sani Abacha for attempting to reclaim his mandate, however, died on July 7, 1998 during the regime of Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

    Abubakar succeeded Abacha after his death on June 8, 1998.

  • Benjay: Tributes as the phenom clocks 80

    Benjay: Tributes as the phenom clocks 80

    There was jazz, there was eloquence, and there were friends and well-wishers as the Committee for Relevant Arts (CORA), Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Goethe Institut, and other culture-inclined bodies appositely celebrated the 80th birthday of Benson Idonije. It was a kindred ambience of respect that pervaded the celebrations as people gathered to celebrate the former broadcaster, teacher, and writer whose nom de guerre, Benjay, once was a household name.

    The celebration lasted for four days across multiple venues including Muson Centre at Onikan, Ojez Restaurant at National Stadium, and Freedom Park, all in Lagos. The first day featured a plethora of tributes to Benjay as his former colleagues and friends in the media paid homage to him at the Muson Centre.

    Secretary General of CORA, Toyin Akinosho, delivering the opening remarks, mentioned that ‘Uncle Ben” and Cora go a long way. He narrated how Benjay, still brimming with energy after he left broadcasting, wanted to bond with young people.

    “We met at an event,” he said, adding that: “he gave us tips so we started a highlife programme, which has been a source of inspiration to many young people.”

    This comment proved to be just a tip of the iceberg as the chairman for the day, Dr. Christopher Kolade expressed his delight at being invited to chair the occasion. Of the importance of Benjay to the broadcasting community, and indeed to the country as a whole, he said: “We tend to think from all the rhetoric going around that there is much room for improvement. Benson Idonije represents a very important facet of our history – where we are coming from.”

    He also recalled that when Benjay started his career in broadcasting, his activities perplexed people who wondered who it was that troubled them with his knowledge of music. He was, Kolade said, regaling them with things which they already knew. Alas, there were many things which they did not know, and which are contained in Benjay’s books and works.

    Taking a nimble jab at administration in the country, he praised the excellence of Benjay and his colleagues while he was their boss, declaiming that if the country still had people with such commitment at the helm of affairs, then things would be better.

    In a similar manner, Dele Adetiba, another former colleague of Idonije said: “No two people could have done it like Benson Idonije. I knew he was very good, but I never knew he was that good until I started reading him in the papers. He was usually quiet, but he would become a tiger with so much firepower behind the mic.”

    Meanwhile, the celebrations continued on the second day with a number of discussions on the subject of Highlife, especially as this was an area which Benjay focused on immensely. It was chaired by Professor John Collins from the University of Ghana, Legon, who has published about 50 books, including 32 on highlife.

    He lectured extensively on the origins of highlife music as well as the growth of the musical careers of such icons as E.T. Mensah and Bobby Benson. He also noted that Afrobeat and Fela’s music were influenced by highlife. He thrilled the attendants with musical illustrations as he ambidextrously played both the mouth organ and the guitar simultaneously.

    In the same vein, another speaker and friend of Benjay, Ray Mike Nwachukwu excited the audience even further with a prepared recording which explained the deep passion and magic of highlife music with accompanying narratives, and musical clips transcending Africa.

    Chairman of Evergreen Music Studios, Femi Esho then capped the lectures on the growth of Highlife by speaking to the topic; ‘Highlife must not die’. He exemplified evergreen music as a major fighter for the cause of immortalising highlife music, while ruing the sad reality that during the celebration of Nigeria clocking a half century of independence, none of the old music maestros were invited.

    By the fourth day, the discourse had escalated to its climax. A panel consisting Femi Akintunde-Johnson, Molara Wood, Ayeni Adekunle, Osagie Alonge, and Chris Ihidero (the latter being the moderator) examined the music industry in the country and agreed to an extent that credible criticism of the music industry is now an extinct practise. This, they concluded, accounts for some of the underdevelopment in the industry.

    Rounding up the four-day celebration was a concert themed ‘A toast to grand-dad’ in which Damini Ogulu, popularly known as Burna Boy, performed alongside others to celebrate the good health of Benjay.

  • Bond Emeruwa wins as Audio-Visual Rights chairman

    Bond Emeruwa wins as Audio-Visual Rights chairman

    Notable filmmaker and former president of Directors Guild of Nigeria (DGN), Mr. Bond Emeruwa, has been elected president of Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), during a keenly contested elections at Excellence Hotel, Ogba, Lagos, on Tuesday.

    Emeruwa polled nine of the 15 directors’ votes to defeat co-founder and interim chairman of the society, Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun who had led the board since inception in 2014.

    Norbert Ajaegbu and Prince Jide Kosoko who are amomg the 15 new directors, nominated Emeruwa and Ali-Balogun respectively, for the chairmanship position.

    AVRS is the sole Collective Management Organisation (CMO) for the motion picture industry licensed by the Nigerian Copyright Commission on October 20, 2014. The society’s mandate among others, is the collection of monies on behalf of intellectual property right owners and distribute same to members periodically, as royalty.

    With 264 members of the society and other stakeholders, there were strong indications of the seriousness of the AVRS business at the event which began with an Annual General Meeting (AGM) where the Ali-Balogun led former board gave stewardship of their activities in the last two years before they were formally dissolved.

    The 264 members of the AVRS were represented in persons and proxies at the event which also had potential members and other practitioners. Also present were officials of NCC; co-CMO for the music industry, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) as well as independent observers.

    After the first stage of the elections, which determined the 15 new directors of the board of AVRS, contestants with the most votes include; Jide Kosoko (201), Lilian Amah-Aluko (189), Fidelis Duker (186), Ahmed Sarari (184), Emmanuel Isikaku (179), Sanni Muazu (169), Bond Emeruwa (168), Paul Okoli (166),  Chico Ejiro (165), Mahmood Ali-Balogun (148), Olurotimi Aina-Kushoro (139), Okechukwu Ogunjiofor(135), Anthony Anih (132), Norbert Ajaegbu (127) and Peddie Okao (127).

    Other contestants who fell below the 15 topmost votes are Tunji Bamishigbin (111), Igwe Gabosky (110), Remi Ibinola-Olatunji (105), Patrick Doyle (86), Madu C. Chikwendu (86), Alex Eyengho (71), Chikezie Donatus Nkemdirim (43), Francis Onwochei (16) and Osita Okeke (6).

    The AVRS is considered one of the strongest business platforms of revenue stream for practitions in the movie industry.

    Apart from monies charged commercial users of films and musical videos, the private copy levy is another revenue generator in the digital age. Experts have estimated that the AVRS alone is capable of making about N200 million monthly if and when the private copy levy if implemented in Nigeria.

    The levy is compensation for creators and investors in music, movies and literary works for the loss of revenue through free download of works via gadgets such as MP3s, MP4s, cellphones, memory cards and flash drives, among others.