How Nollywood lost N500m to pirates –Adebambo Adewopo
By Sola Balogun
Published: November 24, 2007
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The motion picture industry in Nigeria, otherwise known as Nollywood, may have lost well over N500 million to pirates of movies and musical works alike. This is besides the fact that 75 percent of entertainment products have been subjected to piracy in the out-going year.

Mr. Adebambo Adewopo, Director-General of the Nigeria Copyright Commission [NCC], disclosed this recently in Kano, during his working visit to the city. The DG, who also visited the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Ado Bayero, in his Palace also met with top government officials in the state, particularly with NCC staff, their counterparts in the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) as well as other stakeholders in the sector.
Hanging his visit on the phenomenal growth of the industry and the upsurge of producers and filmmakers in Kano city, Aderopo observed that filmmakers and musicians in the country have lost substantial part of their revenue to illegal replicators of their works and video rentals outlets.

He therefore urged that henceforth, all video rental outlets must obtain owners’ permission and NCC’s authorization before marketing their products.

“Video rental outlets are not supposed to rent out movies without authorization and payment of royalties to owners. They are also required by law to get accreditation of the NCC before going into business,’’ explained the DG while noting that the commission’s Optical Disc Regulation has been able to engage replicating plants at production level. Besides, he hinted that the business of replicating intellectual/creative works is no longer business as usual, adding “Nigerian businessmen want to do honest business if given the right environment … and we are not alone, we’re collaborating with other regulatory bodies such as NFVCB, Standard Organisation of Nigerian (SON) and EFCC to check piracy’’.

Early during the visit, the DG met with a number of stakeholders in the sector to discuss the way forward. One of the key issues raised was the need to address the rising book piracy as well as illegal replication of CDs and VCDs in the state. Also mentioned is the need to give and protect indigenous creative works (mostly of Hausa origin) from local and international pirates.

For example, Alhaji Musa Maikasat, Chairman, Cassette Sellers Association reiterated piracy of Hausa cassettes while Barrister Aliu Umar, representative of Barrister Saidu Saida (the Attorney General of Kano State), noted that protection of creative works remains an important aspect of the national economy. The latter also acknowledged the role of NCC in copyright law enforcement, using the popular Strategic Action Against Piracy (STRAP).

While the royal father, Alhaji Bayero hoped that the commission would meet up with its statutory roles, Saidu too promised that the Ministry of Justice in Kano State would collaborate with the NCC to check piracy and make NCC’s enforcement and prosecution more effective.

Explained the Attorney General, “Gaps in enforcement records and prosecution profile need to be tackled. Enforcement agencies need to partner and chart a way for tackling these challenges.”
Other stakeholders who pledged to work with the NCC in the combat against piracy include MOFAN, NFVCB and PMAN (Kano State branch) whose Chairman, King Waleman, called on the commission to equally see to the plight of musicians in the state.

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