Nigerian Copyright Commission suspends licence of Copyright Society

[Wilhelm]

Abuja 
08 May 2018
Reporter: Barney Dixon

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has suspended the operating licence of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON).

According to to the NCC, the suspension is a follow-up to the failure of COSON to carry out the directive of the NCC issued in a letter in February.

COSON will no longer be able to negotiate or grant copyright licences, collect royalties on behalf of copyright owners, or perform any functions of a collective management organisation.

The NCC said the action was 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 [NCC] to undertake necessary compliance checks in line with relevant provisions of the Copyright Regulations 2007.”

The NCC received a petition from some members of COSON’s governing board requesting it to investigate the events of a general meeting in December 2017.

Following its investigation, the NCC issued directives to COSON’s management, ordering it not to implement certain decisions taken at the meeting, which is said were in breach of statutory provisions and regulations guiding the operations of COSON.

COSON sent a letter to the NCC, expressing its “unwillingness” to comply with the directive.

NCC director general, Afam Ezekude, said that the issue “does not augur well for the development of copyright administration in Nigeria”.

He said: “Aside undermining the efficient administration of COSON to the utter disadvantage of authors and right owners in the music industry, the continuing defiance of COSON management ot the directive of the commission is a clear indication of its unwillingness to operate within the framework of the copyright act and regulations guiding operations of collective management organisations in Nigeria, for which there are clear consequences and sanctions.”

 

 

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