Admin l Thursday, January 11, 2018
ENUGU, Nigeria – A music copyright royalty enforcement team of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) led by the organization’s Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji stormed Enugu this week to ensure that it is well known that henceforth all users of music in public and commercial settings in Enugu State get appropriate copyright licence or face the wrath of the law.
The team was made up of the celebrated former president of PMAN, Chief Tony Okoroji, who is one of Africa’s most respected intellectual property experts; Mr. Uche Stanley Onowo, COSON Enugu State Copyright Royalty Licensing Consultant; Prince Biodun Eguakhide, COSON Edo/Delta State Copyright Royalty Licensing Consultant, Ms. Christabel Odiase, the team’s Media Coordinator and a squad of armed mobile policemen.
While visiting various hotels, events centers and clubs in the capital city of the old Eastern Region, Chief Okoroji said that COSON is totally committed that in 2018 and beyond, music must pay the songwriters, performers, publishers and investors in the Nigerian music industry and contribute significantly to the growth of the nation’s economy. The COSON Chairman said that with the setting up of the COSON Rapid Response Legal Team made up of eight of the nation’s foremost intellectual property law firms, there is no place anymore for any music copyright royalty defaulter to hide.
At Bon Hotel Sunshine, one of Enugu’s topmost new hotels, the COSON royalty enforcement team was received by the entire management team of the hotel led by Mr. Stanley Nwakwe, the Operations Manager. Other persons in the Bon Hotel welcoming team were Mrs. Nneka Ofodile, Human Resources Manager; Mr. Tunde Solomon, Food & Beverage Manager; Mrs. Ifeoma Onyekuba, Financial Controller; Ms. Success Davidson, Chief Security Officer, Mr Gabriel Ogwuche, Executive House Keeper; Mr. Ferdinand Okoh, Executive Chef, etc.
Addressing the Bon Hotel Management, Chief Okoroji said that anyone running a hospitality facility in Nigeria now must understand that one of the critical inputs towards the success of the facility is good entertainment which is produced by some people at some cost and which like every other input needs to be adequately paid for.
He commended the management for the high-quality facilities at Bon Hotel Sunshine and said that he is looking forward to the hotel being a trail blazer in music copyright royalty compliance in Enugu State and the establishment of a good working relationship between COSON and Bon Hotel Sunshine. According to Chief Okoroji, such a relationship can only produce a win-win result for both parties.
