THE CHALLENGES OF THE NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT COMMISSION (NCC) IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COPYRIGHT PIRACY IN NIGERIA (Published)
The dawn of information age and the advancement of technology in the reproduction of information and intellectual goods created a favourable tool for piracy; copying and selling of another’s intellectual works have become easy and less expensive; copyright theft; production of fake, sub-standard and unlicensed products are on the increase. Hence copyright piracy is a global problem, although more prevalent in developing countries like Nigeria. Copyright piracy has been recognized worldwide as an enemy of creative arts, intellectualism and creativity. It obstructs genuine investments and corrupts cultural value of a nation. Nigeria status as a favourable destination for foreign direct investment and a place where local creative talent can flourish is in jeopardy due to the activities of individuals who unjustifiably infringe on another’s copyright works. It is in recognition of the above fundamental facts that the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC)which is saddled with the responsibility of monitoring, administering and enforcing copyright laws and ensuring proper implementation of set out rules and regulations on the citizenry in the case of default seeks to fight against piracy. In this fight, the NCC are faced with a plethora of challenges which include, poor financing, mobility, insecurity, favouritism, poor enforcement mechanism, poor information and communication technology (ICT) knowledge, poor equipment for the implementation of the anti-piracy policies and so on.
Keywords: Copyright Piracy, Nigeria, Nigerian Copyright Commission