The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has warned those engaging in pirating intellectual works to desist from the nefarious act or face long jail terms if caught.
Mr. Afam Ezekude, the Director-General of the commission, gave the warning at a meeting with the leadership of the Alaba International Market in Lagos last Friday.
Ezekude, represented by the Lagos Zonal Manager of the commission, Mr. Obi Ezeilo, said that anyone who contravened Section 38, sub-section 1 of the Copyright Law would be severely punished.
The present government has expressed zero tolerance to piracy, corruption, illegality and other criminal activities in the country.
Piracy and other illegal businesses are affecting the country’s economic growth and development. The commission is the authority saddled with the responsibility of fighting against piracy in the country, and it is poised to eradicate the act in the country.
Ezekude said that he decided to have a discussion with the leadership of the market because it had been allegedly identified as the hub of piracy of intellectual works.The commission will soon commence raiding the markets.
Therefore, the executive should inform the shop owners where piracy is happening to stay away from such business. Piracy is not a legal business.
The D-G added that the NCC would seek the cooperation of the market’s executive and task force to achieve zero tolerance against the unlawful act.
The commission cannot do it alone, it requires the assistance of the members of the market’s executive and the task-force officials to achieve it. With their support and cooperation, piracy will be completely eradicated in Alaba Market
In his remarks, Chairman of the Market, Mr. Emeka Mozoba, pledged that the leadership of the market was ready and willing to collaborate with the commission to rid the market of piracy.
According to him, we are not happy with the comments being made by the public that the market has become a centre for piracy. We are ready to give government our full support to fight against piracy in the market and beyond.
Similarly, Mr. Chinedu Uzorchukwu, Task Force Chairman of Fancy and Furniture at the market, said that piracy had given a bad name to legitimate business owners in the market, dismayed that people had stopped patronising the market as they used to do in the past.
With all these fears and condemnations about the market, we, the members of its task force and shop owners are not happy. We are ready to support the commission in carrying out the anti-piracy raid in the market.