Emmanuel Thomas, Lagos
September 29, 2015 – Stakeholders in the music industry are currently meeting in Lagos to fine tune ways to track digital content to enable owners of creative works earn a living from their hard work.
Technological innovation has in modern times created a huge market on the internet, offering many opportunity to download music online without making payment, hence the need for like minds to rob minds on the way forward.
Chairman Copyright Society of Nigeria(COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji was optimistic that far-reaching decision will be made to assist the industry to grow.
Speaking on the theme “Establishing the Basic Rules of Engagement in the Digital Environment”, Okoroji said, the summit is not meant to be a talk shop.
“It is a historic opportunity to agree on how the Nigerian music industry will move forward in a new era so that everybody’s interest is protected and the industry can grow and meet its true potentials. It may need to be repeated that if the industry does not agree on how to move forward, everyone will move to trenches and just fight it out”
“Following the summit, it is envisaged that there will be an industry monitoring committee to ensure that the players are complying with the new rules and where there is a need for legislation to ensure compliance, the right steps are taken to ensure that such legislation is passed”, he said.
Also speaking, Project Coordinator, GEM, Mr. Yunusa Labaran, said the reason GEM chose to sponsor the summit is because it has a duty to support the music industry to grow and to pay.
“Oil which has been the mainstay of our economy has been dwindling and there is a need to diversify to strengthen our economy. The outcome of this summit will help us to set up an intervention to help the industry grow and create employment for the growth of the Nigerian economy”.
In his address, Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) Mr. Afam Ezekude, said it is important for users of creative contents including telecom companies to leverage on the copyright system for sustenance of seamless availability of creative content to enhance their value added services. “Use of creative content should be on the basis of licenses legitimately issued by those who own rights to the creative content”
“Most operators appear not to be engaging the right platforms to secure appropriate licenses for creative contents deployed on some networks. Consequently, we are continually witnessing some avoidable copyright disputes, which do not only impact negatively on the image of the service providers, but also distract authors from pursuing their creative endeavours”
“The Copyright Act has provided for collective management of rights, which is globally acknowledged as the best mechanism for licensing of content where the use of such content has assumed a certain anonymous scale making it difficult for users to trace and approach individual right owners for separate licenses”, he said.
Among those present at the opening ceremony were Evangelist Dr. Ebenezer Obey, Mr. Raw, Kofi, Charles Granville, Olu Maintain, Baba Dee Fassasi, Essence, Mode nine, DJ Gosporella, King Waleman, Azeezat Allen, Sk Sensation, Daddy Fresh, Chief Tony Okoroji, Mr. Afam Ezekude, Director General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Mr. JohnKennedy Chime, representative of Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Yunusa Labaran, Project Coordinator Growth and Employment Projects (GEM), Mr. Efe Omorogbe, CEO Now Muzik, Mrs. Chinyere Okorocha, Partner, Jackson Etti & Edu Law Firm, Mr. Simon Aderinola, COO BeyondBranches, Mr. Audu Maikori, President, Chocolate City Group, Ms. Nneka Anyina, Director VAS Services, Hauwei, Mr. Joel Ajayi, Chairman, Music Label Owners Association of Nigeria (MULOAN), Hon. John Udegbunam, Engr. Sharon Wilson, President, Music Producers & Marketers Association of Nigeria (MUPMAN), Mr. Femi Fajolu, Managing Partner, Chief G. O. Sodipo & Co., Mr. Lawrence Wilbert, CEO Agilent Wireless, Mr. Afam Nwokedi, Managing Partner, Still Waters Law Firm, Prof. Egerton Uviegahara, Mrs. Inger Elise Mey, Director of Online Media, Broadcast and International Licensing at TONO, Mrs. Tarja Koskinen-Olsson, International Adviser at Olsson & Koskinen Consulting, Mr. Robert Hooijer, International consultant on collective management of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights, Ms. Nothando Migogo, CEO, CAPASSO amongst others.
