The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has commenced prosecution of operators of online platforms, including BetNaija and MovieBox, over alleged copyright infringement and unauthorised distribution of creative works.
The commission disclosed that the enforcement action was aimed at protecting the intellectual property rights of authors, publishers, filmmakers and other creative professionals against online piracy.
The Deputy Director of the NCC’s Regulatory and Compliance Department, Barrister Kunle Olatunji, made this known on Thursday during the South-West zonal National Advocacy Programme of the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG), held at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking at the event, Olatunji said the Copyright Act 2022 had strengthened the commission’s powers to tackle copyright violations, particularly those involving digital platforms.
He explained that the law empowered the commission to take action against websites involved in copyright infringement, including measures that could lead to the shutdown of entire platforms rather than merely the removal of individual infringing materials.
Citing the ongoing cases, Olatunji said the commission was prosecuting the individuals behind BetNaija and MovieBox over their alleged involvement in distributing copyrighted content without authorisation.
He stressed that copyright protection applied not only to films and music but also to books, publications and other creative works reproduced or distributed without the consent of their owners.
The NCC official further warned against tampering with technological protection measures and removing rights management information attached to copyrighted materials, noting that the law provided safeguards against such practices.
On the growing use of artificial intelligence, Olatunji said technological advancement did not remove the rights of original creators or permit the unauthorised use of their works.
He maintained that copyrighted materials could not lawfully be aggregated for machine learning and subsequent distribution without due regard for the intellectual property rights of their owners.
Olatunji warned that individuals and organisations found guilty of copyright infringement could face fines, imprisonment, forfeiture of assets or a combination of sanctions, depending on the nature and severity of the offences.
He urged Nigerians to respect the rights of content creators, describing the unauthorised use of another person’s intellectual property as theft.
The advocacy programme, themed “Nigerian Copyright Law and the Role of REPRONIG,” brought together authors, publishers, academics, librarians, visual artists and representatives of tertiary institutions across the South-West.
The Acting Executive Director of REPRONIG, Mr Tosin Akeredolu, also called for stronger protection of reproduction rights, particularly amid the growing circulation of creative works through digital platforms.
He explained that REPRONIG was licensed to administer secondary reproduction rights in the text and image-based sector, covering activities such as photocopying, scanning, digital downloads and the sharing of copyrighted materials across digital networks.