TVC E – The Digital Music Monitoring Group has asked the Federal Government to activate the Private Copy Levy, which awards compensation to right owners, as provided in the Nigerian constitution.
The call came as more and more intellectual property materials are being downloaded freely by users of the internet.
The group, during a meeting in Lagos on March 8, 2016 averred that Section 40 of the Nigerian Copyright Act makes the Private Copy Levy necessary in the digital age, and urged the government to activate same without further delay.
They reasoned that the activation of the levy scheme will help reduce the effect of the unauthorized and debilitating acquisition of a large amount of music without any payment which is threatening the survival of the Nigerian music industry in the digital era.
The meeting had in attendance, top music industry practitioners and stakeholders from related digital service providers and regulators such as Mr. Audu Maikori, President, Chocolate City Group, Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman, COSON; Mr. Obi Ezeilo, Lagos Zonal Manager, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC); Mr. Joel Ajayi, Chairman, Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN); Engr. Sharon Wilson, National President, Music Producers & Marketers Association of Nigeria (MUPMAN); Mr. Efe Omorogbe, CEO, Nowmuzik; Mr. Lawrence Wilbert, CEO, Ajilent Wireless; Mr Chijioke Ezeh, Coordinator, Wireless Application Services Producers Association of Nigeria (WASPAN) and Intellectual Property Lawyers, Mr. Afam Nwokedi, Principal Partner, Stillwaters Law Firm; Mr. Justin Ige, Managing Partner, Creative Legal and Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji, General Manager, COSON and Secretary of the Group.
According to Maikori, if the government was serious about the development of the creative industries and the hundreds of thousands of jobs tied to the industries, the government needs to act without delay to save the industries from imminent annihilation, adding that there is no way that the industries will survive with the free-for-all copying of music, movies and books going on in the country.
