By Ezra Musa
Kaduna – The Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Kaduna State chapter, has said that it would soon begin the full enforcement of music copyright violation law in the state.
The chairman of the society, Wisdom David, made this disclosure in Kaduna, on Wednesday, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
NAN reports that under the Nigerian Copyright Act CAP C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, original literary, musical and artistic works, cinematography films, sound recordings and broadcast are eligible for copyright.
David listed hotels, night clubs, petrol stations, restaurants and event centres, as major defaulters in the state, adding that they would be the first point of call on starting the enforcement.
According to him, COSON is the nation’s sole Federal Government’s approved copyright collective management organisation for musical works and sound recordings.
The chairman said that notification letters had been issued to all relevant stakeholders both at the commercial and public space to obtain copyright licence.
“There is, therefore, no excuse for anyone violating music copyrights, and as such, anyone found wanting would have his business premises or public office sealed off.
“We understand the situation with the current slow pace of business activities and we are willing to sit and dialogue.
“Obtaining a copyright licence is cheaper than being entangled in a lawsuit for copyright infringement,’’ David said.
He explained that COSON was a professional organisation and therefore socially responsible, believing strongly in dealing with issues first, through dialogue, before considering other options.
David implored night clubs and hotel owners to respect the intellectual property right of artists by obtaining the appropriate copyright licence before deploying music in their operations.