Anti-Piracy and Enforcement Activities of NCC

Essentially, for any creative work to come to fruition, the author/ right owner must have invested time, energy and money in that work. The Commission’s enforcement programmes are geared towards fighting piracy and giving the right owners due returns on every creative investment. Under this programme, Copyright Inspectors have been appointed, national anti-piracy campaign launched and anti-piracy committees established at both national and state levels. In addition the Commission’s active cooperation with the Nigerian Police Force has led to the formation of “Anti-Piracy Squad” in all police divisions across Nigeria . With the collaboration of the Commission’s Copyright Inspectors, right owners, anti-piracy committees and the Nigerian Police, national anti-piracy raids are carried out against book piracy, piracy in music and film, software piracy, visual art piracy and piracy in other related areas. Accordingly, infringing materials has been confiscated, suspects arrested and prosecuted in the law court. In addition to a number of convictions secured against copyright infringers, many copyright cases are pending in different Federal High Courts across the country. The Commission monitors these cases in court and offers free legal advice on copyright to interested members of the public. The Copyright Inspectors (officers appointed by the Commission with powers equivalent to that of the police) inspects register of works kept by the publishers, printers, producers or manufacturers of copyright works with a view to prosecuting those who fail to keep such register. The register ensures that producers are accountable to the owners of the works they produce and furnishes records for the resolution of possible disputes between the two parties. The Copyright Inspectors are also authorized to enter, inspect, examine buildings, premises, materials and arrest as well as interrogate persons where the Copyright Inspector reasonably suspects that an offence against copyright is being committed. The Copyright Video Rental and Copyright Security Devices Regulations no doubt are adding fillip to the Commission’s enforcement drive. The Regulations introduced to sanitize the activities in the film and music sub- sectors primarily for the benefits of film producers, artistes, musicians and investors will usher in an authorized rental copy for use by video rental operators in the film sub- sector and a security device affixed to genuine works (hologram) in the music sub-sector. These measures promise to protect the economic interest of right owners and generate revenue to Government. Plant Inspection and Accreditation Scheme is being introduced to assist in anti-piracy & enforcement action, ensure Section 13 compliance and support the Hologram Scheme. In order to further enhance the earnings of right owners, the Commission encourages the formation of collecting societies pursuant to Section 32B of the Nigerian Copyright Act. Accordingly, whereas the Performing and Mechanical Rights Society of Nigeria, (PMRS) and more recently, Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) have been approved as collecting societies for musical works, the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) has been authorized to handle rights in the literary works. Collecting society is an association of copyright owners, which has as its objectives the negotiating, and granting of licenses, collecting and distributing of royalties in respect of copyright works of its members. In addition the Commission through its Monitoring Unit monitors the broadcasts of local television, cable and satellite stations to check the occurrence of infringement of rights in the broadcasting industry. Defaulting broadcasting stations are formally notified to pay royalties to author(s) whose works are used or face the option of prosecution in the law court.