The Nation Newspaper

Tag: copyright

  • Copyright owners urge NCC to obey judgments

    Copyright owners urge NCC to obey judgments

    A group, the Concerned Copyright and Intellectual Property Owners (CCIPO), has urged the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to obey Federal High Court judgments recognising the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) as a legal entity.

    It said the court gave judgments in favour of MCSN in two cases numbered FHC/L/CS/35/08 and FHC/L/CS/1163/12 on July 25, 2011 and on March 18 last year.

    The verdicts, CCIPO said, affirmed the legality and constitutionality of MCSN’s existence and operations.

    The group decried the centralised administration of copyright, particularly the business of royalty collection in the entertainment industry.

    CCIPO, in a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke (SAN) recalled that the House of Representatives also held a Public Hearing on forced monopoly in royalty collection and directed that the NCC approves or licenses MCSN forthwith.

    “Instead of the NCC to obey these judgments of the Federal High Court, they continued in the acts of persecution of MCSN by filling series of spurious criminal charges against it and its officials on the same alleged offences at different divisions of the Federal High Court,” the group said the letter signed by its National Coordinator, Mike Pam; President, George Dureke and Public Relations director Yinka Davies

    It alleged the commission has continued to disobey the National Assembly by refusing to approve MCSN or review other applications for approval, and accused a “cabal” in the NCC of engaging in regulatory rascality, thereby hurting the entertainment industry and intellectual property sector.

    “If monopoly is bad for every other sector in our economy, including the political sector, why should it be good for only the entertainment/intellectual property sector?” it asked.

    The group sought the immediate de-monopolisation of collective administration of copyright, saying the sector should be opened up through deregulation in the spirit of the Transformation Agenda.

    “The imposed monopoly has continued and become entrenched. This has become unbearable for genuine copyright and other intellectual property owners in Nigeria, particularly our members whose constitutional and fundamental human rights are being trampled upon,” it added.

  • Copyright Commission seizes pirated books

    Operatives of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), have confiscated about 250,000 copies of pirated books in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital.

    The books, worth about N10 million, were seized during a raid on some bookshops in the Mile 1, Rumuigbo and Rumuokoro areas of Port Harcourt.

    The Commission, it was learnt, swung into action following petitions it received from some publishers in the country alleging that their books were been pirated and sold in Port Harcourt and Aba, Abia State.

    During the raid, two bookshop owners suspected to be dealers in pirated books were arrested, while others took to their heels on sighting the operatives.

    One of those arrested said he was unaware that the books supplied to him were pirated, while the other who denied selling pirated books, claimed his stock was directly from the publishers.

    However, he was unable to produce his receipt for the purchase when asked to do so.

    NCC Director of Enforcement, Austin Amadu, said six areas in Port Harcourt were marked as major spots where pirated books are sold.

    “We have seized works worth N9million to N10 million, and we have gone to shops that are selling pirated works up to five, six or seven shops,” Amadu said.

    He warned book dealers to desist from selling pirated books because it was a criminal act. According to him, such fraudulent act deprives authors and publishers of rewards from their intellectual works.

    “The NCC is warning those who engage in this illicit business to desist from it henceforth. We will come heavily on those that have engaged in piracy,” he said.

  • ‘We’ll continue to fight piracy’

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has restated its commitment to stamping out the crime of piracy in the country.

    This is coming on the heels of some major successes it recorded in its anti-piracy efforts.

    The commission, which launched two separate raids on some markets in Abuja, arrested about 10 suspects and seized pirated items worth over N7 million.

    In the first operation tagged: “Kubwa Cleansing” led by the Acting Director, Enforcement, Augustine Amodu and the commission raided Kubwa and Zuba markets where pirated optical discs and other items were recovered.

    Amodu said seven suspects were arrested during the raid, while 28,000 pirated copies of optical discs, including movies and musical works were retrieved from both markets.

    In the second raid at the Durumi 1 Market, three people were arrested in connection with their alleged involvement in the illegal distribution of DSTV signal.

    They include Godwin Onyuka, Samuel Nwabueze and Onyuka’s neighbour identified as Chima.

    DSTV’s Manager, Piracy, Gozie Onumonu, who led NCC officials and armed policemen on the raid, said the main suspect, Onyuka’s offence was that he was allegedly rebroadcasting DSTV channels to over 500 households in Durumi Community and in the market and allegedly collects N1,000 per shop monthly.

    Onumonu claimed that Onyuka also collects N500 from each household that he is not giving football channels.

    “And he only pays to DSTV about N13, 000 monthly. DSTV does not give commercial package to people who do cable piracy.

    “DSTV Collective package is meant for viewing centres and hotels. It costs N13, 000 monthly and it is called commercial bouquet.

    “DSTV does not and has never given anybody any licence to rebroadcast its channels via cables. Whoever claimed to have been so authorised should produce the licence issued to him or her by the company,” the DSTV official said.

    Onyuka denied the allegation, claiming that what he does in Durumi eating place is not illegal.

    “DSTV officials came to Durumi eating place and inspected the market sometime last year. The company gave me the right to do what I am doing. An official of DSTV known as Omafo knows about this. Omafo, who is the Assistant Manager, Piracy, came with some other officials of the company; they came in DSTV’s official vehicle to inspect every shop in the market.

    “I have all the documents relating to the transaction. I will provide them at the appropriate time. The transaction, in relation to my business, was carried out at the DSTV main office at Wuse Zone 2, Abuja.

    “My decoders are registered. That was why I could link up others that were registered. DSTV is fully aware of what I am doing. I pay DSTV over N30, 000 monthly subscriptions for this commercial service. I have linked over 40 people.

    “My contract with DSTV is called DSTV Collective. Under it, the company registers some decoders with which you are allowed to connect others for commercial purposes.

    “If they do their investigation and find out that my decoders are not registered for commercial, I should be indicted,” Onyuka said.

    Nwabueze, the chairman, Durumi 1 Market Traders’ Association, confirmed that the suspect distributes DSTV services to his association’s members.

    He said over 40 members are linked by the suspect, who charges N3, 000 for connection and N1, 000 monthly subscription from those he linked. Nwabueze denied knowledge that the suspect’s operation was illegal. He said his only involvement was to assist in the collection of the monthly subscription fee from his members to the suspect to avoid disputation.

    Also speaking, Amodu expressed delight that his commission’s efforts were yielding results with the arrest and confiscation of Onyuka’s operational tools.

    “We have warned severally that the NCC will not tolerate piracy in whatever form. We have said that piracy is a cankerworm that is biting deep into the fabric of the economy of this nation.

    “We have decided to either stamp out or reduce it drastically. The NCC wishes to warn all those engaged in this form of illegal business to stop.

    “If they refuse to stop, we will surely get them, no matter where they may be in this country. Onyuka, who was arrested in Durumi, will be taken to court soon. We are committed to zero-tolerance of piracy in the country,” Amodu said.

     

  • Filmmakers set to gather for one-day int’l forum on copyright

    Filmmakers set to gather for one-day int’l forum on copyright

    A one-day international forum on copyright will be organised by the Association of Nollywood Core Producers (ANCOP), Nigeria and the International Federation of Film Producers Associations (FIAPF), France.

    The event comes up on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 at the Protea Hotel, 44, Isaac John Street, GRA, Ikeja, Lagos, by 9am prompt. Mr. Bertrand Moullier will lead a high-powered delegation of FIAPF to the forum. Major players in the Nigerian audio-visual sector and government will also participate in this highly informative and educative forum. The forum is part of the advocacy functions of ANCOP and FIAPF.

    While the morning session of the forum will focus on the Nigerian film sector and its related-copyright challenges, the afternoon session will beam its searchlight on the international dimension of copyright including the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO). Papers presented by invited guest speakers including that of Mr. Moullier of FIAPF will lay the foundation for discussions by a carefully selected 10-man panel and subsequent interactive session by other participants.

    Some of the Guest Speakers and panelists include Chief Tony Okoroji, Mr. Tunde Kelani, Mrs. Amaka Igwe, Barr. Efere Ozako, Barr. Mayo Ayilaran, Barr. (Sir) Cosmas Emenike Ndulue, Zik Zulu Okafor, Mr. Zeb Ejiro, OON, Chief Eddie Ugbomah, OON, among others. Director of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), his counterpart in the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) and the Managing Director of Nigerian Film Corporation will also participate in the forum.