Leadership (Abuja)
Michael Dibie
27 August 2008
(Page 2 of 2)
There are disturbing trends in terms of the level of violence associated with piratical activities in Nigeria. In June 2006, Nigerian police raided the Alaba International Market in Lagos, during which pirates shot two police officers, burned a police vehicle, and threw stones and bottles, injuring the industry coordinator when he was struck on the head by a stone.Tear gas had to be used to quell the violence. Several thousand pirate CDs and VCDs were seized and four men were arrested. This raid demonstrated the serious criminal nature of pirate enterprise in Nigeria and that a coordinated approach focused on criminal enforcement must be mounted.
According to Dr. Adebambo Adewopo, given that STRAP is now in place, the NCC can exercise its authority to the full extent of the law.
Responding to the suggestion that software companies should be more lenient regarding IP or that piracy is acceptable given that developers make huge revenues from the products. The same is true in the consumer market. People wouldn't walk into a supermarket, fill their trolley and walk out without paying because they felt the retailer made too much money. They wouldn't steal or buy a stolen car just because they thought the prices were too high. Why is it less of an offence if people do this with computer software, music CDs or DVDs?
"It's often said that software is too expensive. However, a huge amount of revenue is channeled back into the research and development of products that help people do business – the very same people that are complaining about paying for the software.
The commission must, thus put in place the enabling structures and systems necessary to make the works of the creative artistes profitable. It also behooves practitioners and players in the industry to play by the rules to conform to international best practices.
While such initiatives as the Copyright Notification, Video Rental and Hologram Schemes as well as the Optical Disc Regulation are geared towards this end, the Commission needs to act to curtail the incidence of broadcast piracy which equally robs many artistes of their legitimate entitlements. The NCC should therefore resolve all the nagging issues in collective administration, in the music sub-sector in the best interest of rights owners and creators in the industry. Two bodies, the Performing and Mechanical Rights Society (PMRS) and the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MSCN) have been in the fore of this campaign.
But more importantly, we believe, that an amendment to the Copyright Act to provide stiffer penalties to serve as a deterrent to pirates is long overdue. Piracy has become a serious problem that is injurious to the economy. The defence of intellectual property demands drastic action against piracy.
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