Lagos, June 13, 2016 – Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) has said it is on rampage because the war on piracy is critical to survival of Nigeria and specifically the music industry.
COSON recently went to court asking the Federal High Court to restrain Federal Government owned FRCN from further broadcast of music on any FRCN’s 42 radio stations across Nigeria.
In quick succession, COSON followed the FRCN suit with a M16 Billion court action against telecommunication giant MTN.
Shortly afterwards COSON filed a new N11 Billion action against Etisalat, another telecommunications conglomerate.
Explaining the rationale, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said what COSON is doing is critical to the survival of the Nigerian nation.
“In the new knowledge, creative or digital economy, if Nigeria does not imbibe and internalize the concept of intellectual property, promote and defend that concept, it does not matter how many national economic conferences we have, it does not matter how many Federal Executive Council meetings we hold, our economy will not thrive”.
Chief Okoroji explained that the organization seeks legal redress when diplomacy has failed.
“It is only when we hit a brick wall that we take the issues to the courts and ask for the intervention of a judge who by law is supposed to be an independent arbiter with the knowledge and training to examine the facts and apply the law. We do not resort to cutlasses or machetes. We follow the process provided for in a democracy.
“The national economy is the aggregate of the productivity of the people who operate within that economic space. The productivity is a function of the values we attach to the products of the work done’’, he said.
According to him, Nigerian music and movies are in great demand across the world.
“Everybody wants our music, movies and literature but everybody appears to want them for free – individuals, government agencies, broadcasting organizations, hotels, telecommunication companies, advertising agents, students, etc.
“What it means is that there is no value placed on these intellectual products in our nation despite the huge efforts and investment put into making them. By our attitude, we do not hurt just the individual intellectual property owner, we hurt the entire national economy. If we do not understand the consequences of what we are doing, our efforts to boost the national economy will be in vain.
“At COSON, we are determined, committed and resolved to stamping out the era of “monkey dey work, baboon dey chop” from the Nigerian music industry and establish a transparent and accountable industry in which everyone who invests his or her talent or resources can rest assured that his or her investment will be fully protected. We will not buckle under pressure from anyone no matter how highly placed’’, he said.
We have sued a corporation owned by the Federal Government of Nigeria. We have gone to court against a State government. We have had to sue Nigeria’s biggest bank, wrestle in court with Nigeria’s biggest hotel and broadcast networks. At COSON, we verily believe that no one is above the law.
“At COSON, we are resolute that the labour of Nigerian musicians and investors in the music industry who toil every day to make people happy will no longer be in vain. They cannot make people happy and be sad themselves. Anyone intending to exploit their sweat to serve his own purpose has COSON to deal with.
“We are not just fighting for individuals, we are fighting for the Nigerian nation. The recent crash in the price of crude oil should make it clear to everyone that our nation must change course. We can no longer afford to anchor the future of our children and grandchildren on the vagaries of the crude oil market. Our music, movies in great demand everywhere in the world must count for something. They should contribute significantly to the nation’s GDP and provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of our citizens. We surely cannot continue with the free-for all mass photocopying of whole books in Nigerian universities and other institutions which has destroyed our publishing industry. The era of monkey dey work, baboon dey chop should be over. Is this not the period of change? Yes, we have asked COSON lawyers to go on ‘rampage’. Our brief to them is clear: there will be no untouchables and no sacred cows; no retreat, no surrender”.
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