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Tag: Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC)

  • NCC launches prize for copyright reporting

    NCC launches prize for copyright reporting

    Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has reintroduced its annual copyright forum, which is now to be known as the Annual Copyright Dialogue. The Commission also instituted the Moses Ekpo Prize for Innovative Copyright Reporting to honour journalists and media organisations that demonstrate innovation, integrity, and commitment to advancing copyright education and public awareness.

    The Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) Dr. John Asein disclosed this speaking at the Copyright Seminar for Journalists organised by the Commission in collaboration with the Art and Culture Writers Association of Nigeria (ACWAN) in Abuja last Wednesday.

    While noting the importance of feedback from stakeholders, Dr. Asein observed that the Annual Copyright Dialogue will allow for more robust policy discourse, institutional reflection and strategic engagement with right owners and other stakeholders on how to enhance the copyright system.

    Commending media practitioners for their enduring partnership and support, he noted that the media, through their reportage, analysis, and narratives, shape national consciousness, influence public perception and drive policy outcomes, adding that the realisation of the Commission’s statutory mandate to promote and protect creativity requires a strong, credible, and professional media sector.

    He drew attention to the negative impact of digital piracy on the nation’s creative industries, the DG-NCC noting that Nigeria loses billions of Naira annually to Intellectual Property theft describing it as a major threat to creative investment and national development.

    “A decade ago, we dealt with mass reproduction of CDs and DVDs. Today, we are confronted with cloud-based infringements, algorithm-driven content aggregation, digital anonymity, and hyperactive online piracy networks. These developments demand innovative regulatory responses and broader partnerships” Dr. Asein stressed.

    He announced Ms Evelyn Osagie as the winner of the maiden edition of the Moses Ekpo Prize for Innovative Copyright Reporting. Osagie, who until her passing away on 17 August 2025, was Assistant Editor (Art) with The Nation Newspaper. It was in recognition of her contributions to Nigeria’s creative and copyright sector.

    Dr. Asein described Ms. Osagie as an empathetic and accomplished journalist who amplified the voices of emerging creators, supported NCC’s enforcement efforts and consistently highlighted the threats of piracy with clarity and courage.

    Expressing the Commission’s appreciation to ACWAN members and other media professionals, the Director-General called on journalists and media organizations to be proactive partners in policy development, public enlightenment, highlighting emerging issues in the copyright sector that require intervention; monitoring the Commission’s enforcement operations; mobilising public support against piracy and other copyright abuses, and giving feedbacks to improve on the Commission’s  service delivery.

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    At the end of the training, participants appreciated the Commission for the knowledge and insight gained. Speaking on behalf of other participants,  News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Editor, Mr. Joshua Olomu expressed optimism that the participants are better equipped to function as partners and stakeholders of the nation’s creative economy.

    Also speaking at the end of the event, The Nation’s reporter, Mr. Vincent Ikuomola noted that the training is timely considering the importance of copyright and challenges faced by creatives and other stakeholders due to piracy and other illegal acts. He said the seminar has enriched his knowledge about copyright and enlightened him on his rights as a creator.

    FRCN Correspondent, Mr. Oluwaseyi Ajibade, also described the seminar as an eye opener and a call on journalists to do more in sensitizing the public on the potentials of creativity. “I have come to know my rights as a journalist and the need to strike a balance in reportage. It has also given me more sense of responsibility not just as a reporter but as a stakeholder in the creative sector” he stated.

    “If we have this kind of event quarterly or twice a year it will help us to understand and support the efforts of the NCC” he added.

    Paper presentations at the hybrid seminar include: The Journalists guide to Effective Reportage of the Copyright Sector by renowned journalist and Culture Caucus Advocate (CCA), Mr. Jahman Anikulapo; Copyright Law and Journalism by IP Consultant and Principal Partner Alpha-Edge Legal, Mr. Mike Akpan; Imperatives of Sustained Awareness Creation for Effective Copyright Protection and Development by Public Relations Expert and former Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Mr. Vincent Oyefeso. The event was moderated by Director of Public Affairs NCC, Mrs. Ijeoma Egbunike.

  • Nigerian Economic Summit Group nominates NCC DG on steering committee

    The Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Mr John Asein, has been nominated to serve as a member of the Steering Committee of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Tourism, Hospitality, Entertainment, Creatives and Sports Policy Commission (THECSPC).

    The NESG is an indigenous public-private sector think-tank and policy advocacy organisation committed to promoting sustainable growth, development and championing socio-economic reforms in the Nigerian economy with a view to creating an open, globally competitive and sustainable economy.

    The nomination, conveyed in a letter from the Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Mr. ‘Laoye Jaiyeola, expressed the expectation of the Group that the Director General, as a member of the THECSPC Steering Committee will bring his wealth of experience in the creative and entertainment industry to bear on the work of the NESG and join other experts in shaping the future of Nigeria.

    The THECSPC is one of the eleven (11) Policy Commissions and forty (40) Working Groups committed to driving change within NESG by providing a platform for public-private sector dialogue and collaboration on tourism and hospitality, entertainment, the creative industry and sports, with a view to ensuring the formulation, adoption and implementation of appropriate policies.

    Read Also: NCC bankrolls research, devt in varsities

    Mr Jaiyeola explained that members of the Steering Committee are appointed from both the public service and private sectors for an initial period of three years.

    Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Asein commended the sub-group of the NESG specially for helping to draw attention to the strategic importance of the creative sector as a key to sustainable national development. He noted the need to build on public-private sector synergy and make the copyright system work better for the Nigerian creative industry.

    The Director-General thanked the leadership of THECSPC for the honour and reaffirmed the commitment of NCC to changing the copyright narrative for the benefit of all stakeholders in the creative sector.

    The inauguration of the Steering Committee is scheduled to take place at 12 noon on July 3, 2019 at the NESG Summit House, Ikoyi, Lagos.

  • NCC to prosecute institutions, schools that use pirated books

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) Tuesday vowed to prosecute institutions and schools that use pirated books.

    It said it would work with the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA) to explore ways of creating safe corridors for the distribution of legitimate books.

    NCC Director-General Mr John Asein, in a statement to mark the World Book and Copyright Day, held every April 23, said the fight against book piracy will be intensified.

    According to him, the Commission would continue to develop policies and strategies to facilitate a culture of respect for authorship and copyright works.

    “We will step up our enforcement and prosecutorial activities to stem the tide of copyright infringements both off and online.

    “We will also reinvigorate our compliance checks in schools and other institutions of learning to sensitize them on the need to patronize only genuine copies of books through legitimate channels of distribution.

    “Henceforth, proprietors, heads of schools and authorities in charge will be held vicariously responsible for any pirated books distributed to pupils and students through their schools.

    “We shall also be taking appropriate steps under the law to sanction institutions found involved in mindless and unconscionable use and promotion of pirated books,” NCC said.

    The Commission has embraced developments in the international copyright community to create a more inclusive culture of access to published works for blind and visually impaired persons.

    It noted that Nigeria, in October 2017, ratified the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled.

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    “We have also gone ahead to make provision for the domestication of the treaty in the new Copyright Bill which was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council.

    “On a more practical note, the Commission, with help from the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and its Accessible Book Consortium, is collaborating with the Nigeria Association of the Blind (NAB), the NPA, the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), and other key stakeholders to provide more books in accessible formats for blind and visually impaired persons in Nigeria,” Asein said.

    According to him, a pilot project on capacity building assistance, provision of accessible books and assistive technologies to students in that category is ongoing.

    This, he said, is another demonstration of the Federal Government’s policy on inclusiveness, equal access and non-discrimination against persons living with disabilities.

    He urged stakeholders in the creative industry to support the government’s efforts to revamp the sector and build a copyright system that will help to maximize its potentials to national economic development.

    Theme of this year’s celebration is: “Discover the World through Reading”!

    The statement added: “The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1995 declared April 23 as a special day to focus on the wonderful world of books and the enduring role of copyright in promoting and protecting the rights of authors and other stakeholders.

    “The day is also an occasion to celebrate the contribution of books and authors to our global culture as well as highlight the connection between copyright, creativity and books to the propagation of our common values as humanity.

    “For us at the NCC, it is an opportunity to again underscore the importance of creativity to our collective development aspirations as a nation, with particular emphasis on respect for copyright and the effective protection of the rights of our authors. “As we join the world to celebrate the book as an enduring legacy, it is saddening to note the decline in our reading culture. This has become a major national concern in Nigeria for its youth population.

    “The essence of reading, particularly for leisure and personal enjoyment, cannot be over emphasized.

    “Reading is to the mind what physical exercise is to the body; it is food for the soul, the chisel that helps shape who we become in today’s knowledge driven world.

    “Books develop the personality and stimulate imagination, taking us to faraway lands that we may never visit physically. Reading unlocks the potentials in us and fires our creative talents to innovate and build our society.

    “Incidentally, the book remains the most resilient and prevalent copyright work today. It has helped grow human civilization and over the centuries has contributed to the development of virtually all fields of human endeavour, including education, religion, research and entertainment.

    “In today’s digital world, it is imperative that authors and publishers should make changes in their business and distribution model so as to make the book more attractive to younger readers on the new media and digital platforms.”

  • 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.”

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  • NCC seizes 28 containers of pirated works – Official

    NCC seizes 28 containers of pirated works – Official

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission ( NCC ), says 28 shipping containers comprising pirated books and audio-visual works were confiscated from 2011 to the first quarter of 2017.

    Mr. Afam Ezekude, the Director General of the NCC, said this during the signing of signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between NCC and the Nigeria Customs Service ( NCS ), on collaborative anti-piracy operations at the nation’s ports and borders, on Wednesday in Abuja.

    Mr Hameed Ali, Comptroller General of NCS signed on behalf of the service.

    Ezekude who lauded the NSC’s role in the seizure, said that the NCS remained its crucial ally in the commission’s anti-piracy drive.

    “This MoU is a step in the right direction as it has formally set in motion synergised efforts between us in our fight against piracy.

    “Movements of pirated works at border points through the air, sea and land, will henceforth be checked effectively.

    “This development has further reiterated our zero-tolerance stand against any means through which pirated works enter the Nigeria market,” he said.

    In his remark, the CG of NCS, Hameed Ali, said that since the organisations were involved in enforcement of government policies, there was need for them to work closely for effective delivery on their mandates.

    He therefore urged NCC to provide relevant expertise training on copyrights to officers of the NCS for them to be more effective in their hunt for pirated creative work at ports and borders.

    “We have realized that we need each other to work more effectively, and this MoU will help in achieving that goal.

    “However, there is need for relevant training for our officers so that they can identify pirated products from the original ones at the ports”, he said.

    The MoU which is for three years is subject to renewal thereafter.

    According to the chief executives, the MoU is to formalise and strengthen the inter-agency collaboration between the two organisations, and to explore further ways to collectively curb importation of pirated works into the country.

    NAN

  • Nigeria presents copyright treaties at WIPO

    Nigeria presents copyright treaties at WIPO

    Nigeria has presented four key Copyright ratified Treaties to the Assembly of member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization ( WIPO ) in Geneva.

    The presentation was made at a 57th WIPO General Assembly meeting in Geneva on October 2.

    Amb. Audu Kadiri, Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Office in Geneva, said in a statement on Friday in Abuja.

    Kadiri, who presented the treaties to the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Francis Gurry said, Nigeria was committed to the implementation of the treaties in support of the country’s drive to revatilise its economy.

    He listed the treaties to include include the WIPO Copyright Treaty ( WCT ), the Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT) and the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances and the Marrakesh Treaty .

    He explained that the Beijing Treaty will enter into force three months after 30 ratifications or accessions are presented to WIPO.

    Kadiri also added that others will enter into force for Nigeria on January 4, 2018.

    Gurry said that the accessions represented a major commitment on the part of Nigeria to ensure that its copyright system effective and therefore “its protection for performers and for artists and for composers and authors is at the very highest level internationally.”

    Also, Mr Afam Ezekude, Director- General of Nigerian Copyright Commission ( NCC ), who led Nigeria delegates to the meeting said , “With the ratification of the four treaties, Nigeria is about to witness a new era in its intellectual property protection policy and legislation.

    “The development again underscores the urgent need to enact a new Copyright legislation that will implement the standards stipulated in the treaties,” he said.

    “The Ratification of the treaties affirms Nigeria’s acceptance and its undertaking to faithfully perform and carry out obligations under the treaties.

    “Nigeria stands to derive benefits from this instrument when its provisions are eventually domesticated in the revised Copyright bill being proposed by the NCC.

    “Similarly, the Beijing treaty guarantees prospects of remuneration for performers in respect of residual exploitation of their fixed performances.

    “For Nigeria and its burgeoning film industry ( NOLLYWOOD ), this treaty is particularly germane to the operations of the new system of collective management of rights in audiovisual works.

    “It will strengthen and expand opportunities for players in the industry,“ he said.

    NAN recalled that that President Muhammadu Buhari, following an approval of the Federal Executive Council, signed these four (4) instruments of ratification of the Treaties on August 24, 2017.

  • TSTV: Content provider beIN claims copyright infringement

    TSTV: Content provider beIN claims copyright infringement

    • Says there was no contractual agreement

    It seems the last has not been heard of the TELCOMM SATELLITE TV(TSTV) drive in Nigeria. This is because a content provider beIN has written to the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), claiming infringement.

    beIN

     Read: TSTV Bouquet Subscription Table

    In a letter sent to the NCC, and obtained by our reporter, beIN, claimed there was no contractual agreement between the two companies, that would give the company the license to beam its contents.

    And: BEWARE: Terms and conditions you may NOT know about TSTV

    beIN,a global sport and entertainment company based in Qatar, provides subscription services to millions of viewers across the world,especially in the Middle East, North Africa, France, USA,Southeast Asia,Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

    In a swift response, TELCOMM SATELLITE TV (TSTV) in a statement, released on its facebook page, claimed the letter was fake and designed to create a bias in the minds of Nigerians.

    Read the comment:

    DISCLAIMER!!
    We are not unaware of the messages circulating the social media regarding letters from Bein Sports and Turner respectively. We wish to inform Nigerians once again that the letters being circulated are FAKE. They were designed primarily to bias Nigerians. Kindly disregard the said frivolous letters.
    TStv Africa…connecting your world! 

    beIN's Letter to the NCC

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    TSTV channel list

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  • NCC confiscates N10bn pirated items in six years – DG

    NCC confiscates N10bn pirated items in six years – DG

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has confiscated pirated materials worth about ten billion Naira in the last six year in the country.

    Mr Afam Ezekude, the NCC Director-General, made this known on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

    He said: “The commission has scaled up its enforcement activities in the last six and half years and we have seized pirated items to the tune of over 10 billion naira; remove from markets and shops.

    “So in terms of enforcement and prosecution, things have really, dramatically changed over the last six and half years and the creative industry should be well aware of that.”

    Ezekude also said that the commission’s strategies in eradicating piracy remained the same.

    He said that the commission would introduce new legislations to strengthen the fight against piracy in the country.

    “The draft copyright bill is undergoing fine-tuning at the office of the Attorney General.

    “We are hoping that with the new bill becoming a law, it will help to make the copyright industry more vibrant and encourage more creativity and it will address the issue of piracy on the internet.

    “So these are the sort of things we are hoping to achieve in the next years so that the industry will become a more vibrant industry and contribute more to the economy and the GDP of the country,” he said.

    NAN reports that the Copyright Decree No. 47 of 1988 established NCC in August 1989.

  • Piracy: NCC arrests 10 in Oyo, confiscate pirated works

    Piracy: NCC arrests 10 in Oyo, confiscate pirated works

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Ibadan Zonal Office on Tuesday in Ibadan arrested 10 suspected pirates and confiscated several bags of pirated works.

    Seven of the suspects were arrested for illegally downloading copyrighted works, while the remaining three were arrested for selling pirated books.

    The Zonal Manager, Mrs. Bisi Ogundiran, said that the suspects had benefited illegally from the creative works of others, which were protected by law.

    She said that piracy was a menace to the nation’s economic, saying many were feeding fat from the illegal reproduction of other’s intellectual properties.

    Ogundiran said that the commission had visited them severally to sensitise them on the implication of exploiting people of their intellectual or creative properties.

    “They reproduce other people’s creative work and sell at cheap prices, depriving the owners of the benefit from their creativity. This heinous act has led to the extinction of some artiste in Nigeria. If California in America could generate huge revenue from the film industry, imagine what the nation would have generated without piracy,” She said.

    She said that the essence of the enforcement and arrest was to get culprit prosecuted, so that such would serve as deterrent to others.

    Ogundiran warned Nigerians to be wary of goods they purchase and those they buy from, urging them to join them in stamping out piracy from the country.

    She called on the people to always ensure that their creative or intellectual properties were registered for protection under copyright laws.

    The materials were confiscated at Awero Bookshop (Nig) Enterprises, More Blessing Books and Stationery Stores, Omotayo Bookshop and Stationeries Supply and Idera Oluwa Bookshops all at Mapo, Ibadan.

    Also on the list are Maxwell Communications at Agodi-Gate and Advance Technology, Dugbe.

  • NCC seizes N8b pirated works in five years

    NCC seizes N8b pirated works in five years

    The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has seized 7,918,605 units of pirated copyright works worth N8.113 billion from 256 anti-piracy raids in the last five years.

    The Director-General of the commission, Mr. Afam Ezekude, said this at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) and pre-AGM lecture of the Intellectual Property Law Association of Nigeria (IPLAN) held last Friday in Lagos.

    Ezekude, reacting to the lecture titled: “Intellectual Property Rights and National Development”, stated that in five years, 54 criminal convictions had also been secured against copyright offenders at the Federal High Court in the areas of film, book, music, cable and software piracy.

    The commission is also prosecuting about 172 criminal copyright infringement and civil cases at the Federal High Court, Ezekude disclosed.

    Earlier, chairman of the occasion, former Commissioner, Nigerian Law Reform Commission, Professor Egerton Uvieghara, in his opening remarks, tasked the National Assembly to concentrate more lawmaking than oversight duties.

    He said: “Members of the National Assembly do more of oversight functions than law making,” he said, urging them to “reform the copyright laws so as to ensure Nigeria’s copyright system meets the prevailing needs of the creative industries.”

    “We cannot be talking about development without Intellectual Property put in proper perspective,” Uvieghara added.

    Welcoming members, including lawyers and other stakeholders to the pre-AGM lecture, the out gone President of the association, former Dean, School of Law and Security Studies, Babcock University, Ilishan Remo, Ogun State, Professor Bankole Sodipo, focused on the work that had been done in various sectors of Intellectual Property.

    Mr. Sola Dosunmu, a staff of British American Tobacco (BAT), spoke on Plain Packaging Product versus Intellectual Property Rights while Mr. John Asein, an Intellectual Property Management Consultant, presented a paper on “An Appraisal of the Draft Amendment to the Copyright Act.”

    Mr. John identified non-committal of industry players to the reform process; weak advocacy and competing national issues; slow pace of the legislative process; low level of awareness amongst stakeholders; non ratification of the international treaties as some of the challenges encountered in the process of passage of the bill.

    He urged stakeholders and copyright interest groups to play more visible roles in the formulation and direction of copyright policies, noting that Section on Business Law and IPLAN must work closely with the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Ministry of Justice and the legislature for a well-coordinated reform process.