As pirates give intellectual property owners in Nigeria a headache, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has assured the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) that airports would not be used as a haven for sale of pirated works.
The managing director of FAAN, Capt Rabiu Yadudu stated this at a consultative held in Lagos with the director general of the NCC, Mr. John Asein.
Yadudu gave firm assurance that FAAN would unleash its relevant departments to address the problem of pirated materials at the nation’s local and international airports.
“We are committed as government agencies to protect public interest even in copyright matters and we owe a duty to assist each other in executing our mandates.
“The legal and commercial teams of FAAN will be deployed to assist NCC to strengthen its enforcement actions at airports across the country,” he said.
While decrying pervasive piracy in all copyright sectors, the managing director urged rights owners and other stakeholders in the industry to address the challenges in the distribution networks so as to make genuine copyright works more readily available in the market.
In his remarks, Asein expressed concern at the high volume of pirated materials at the nation’s airport and the negative impact it has, not only on the fortunes of rights owners but also on the nation’s image.
He stressed that the criminal activities of a small percentage of Nigerians are capable of distorting the country’s image as a land of talented, industrious and law-abiding people.
Asein noted with regret that the activities of pirates adversely affect the education sector and threatens the book industry.
He said some of the authors whose books were highly pirated included Prof. Wole Soyinka, former presidents like Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Dr. Goodluck Jonathan as well as renowned authors like Olusegun Adeniyi.
Explaining the NCC’s commitment to ridding Nigeria of reckless distribution of pirated materials, Asein said his agency, in collaboration with relevant sister agencies, would intensify efforts at different production, distribution and sales points, at border posts, air and sea ports, hotels, malls and other public places including the streets, as part of a comprehensive action plan against all forms of piracy and copyright abuses.
“The commission needs FAAN as well as other regulatory and enforcement agencies as key partners in its renewed drive to curb wanton copyright infringement in Nigeria.
“We are committed to full implementation of our mandate for sustainable growth of the creative industry.
With your support, copyright piracy will not thrive under our watch,” he said.
Commenting on the development, the chairman of the Anti-Piracy Committee of the Nigerian Publishers Association (NPA), Mr. Lawrence Aladesuyi, described the inter-agency initiative as a proactive effort which would stem the tide of piracy in Nigeria and change the negative image that pirates create for the country.
He noted that piracy kills creativity and the creative industry as well as denies government of legitimate revenue since pirates evade tax payment.
Therefore, he urged FAAN to explore its partnership with NCC to stamp out piracy outlets from all their platforms.
He assured of the support of NPA for what he described as “a long awaited, laudable initiative”.
A copyright stakeholder, Mr. Olusegun Adeniyi, while commending the initiative, denounced the pervasive onslaught of copyright piracy, not only at the airports, but also in all places in the country including shopping malls, bookshops, hotels and on the streets.
“I am in constant dialogue with the director general of NCC and willing to assist the ongoing efforts to check piracy in the interest of the creative industry”, he added.
For his part, the managing director of Bookcraft Limited, Ibadan, Mr. Bankole Olayebi, said piracy damages the interests of authors, publishers and the ownership of intellectual property in Nigeria, thereby undermining the development of the country on a sustainable basis.
“Bookcraft, on behalf of other stakeholders, appreciates the efforts of NCC towards the protection of rights owners and the copyright based industries.
“We support the inter-agency collaboration for enhanced copyright protection in the country”, he stated.
Earlier, both agencies had expressed commitment the development and implementation of a national anti-piracy strategy to address the sale of pirated books, films, music and other copyright infringing materials in and around the nation’s local and international airports.
They also agreed to work out the modalities for sustained proactive enforcement to ensure that the interest of rights owners are adequately protected in line with the federal government’s policy of guaranteeing adequate return on investment and growing the creative sector.
