Nigeria Loses $3bn Annually to Piracy – TheNigerialawyer

The Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) has disclosed that
Nigeria is losing $3 billion (N918 trillion) annually to the
activities of pirates.

The Director-General (DG) of the commission, Mr John Asein, made
the disclosure at the 2019 World Intellectual Property Day with the
theme: ‘Reach for Gold: IP and Sports,’ held in Abuja Friday.

Asein, represented by the Director, Legal Services, Mr Abdul
TerKohol, urged government to put in place adequate, responsive and
effective legal frameworks for the protection and enforcement of
sporting and associated industries rights.

He said with the advent of new technologies, the task of
sport-related copyright had become more daunting.

The DG also noted that the expansion of high-speed internet
around the world, the proliferation of portable devices and the
rise of online streaming platforms had made tackling illegal
exploitation of rights more difficult.

“Thousands of websites that illegally stream sporting and
entertainment content in real time threaten the copyright in
content.

“For full potential of the sporting and associated industries to
be realised, countries must put in place adequate, responsive and
effective legal frameworks for the protection, administration and
enforcement of rights.

“The intellectual property system, especially copyright, offers
a practical and effective mechanism for achieving this,” he
said.

According to Asein, intellectual property, particularly
copyright, lies at the heart of the commercial exploitation of
sports and contributes substantially to the growth of a community
of players and fans whose net worth is more than $300 billion.

He said that Nigeria occupied a unique place in the world of
sports given its exploits and remarkable successes in various
sporting events.

He urged stakeholders to continue to support government in its
determination to build a functional copyright system that would
deliver the expected dividends to right owners and guarantee
sustainable development of sports.

Asein also advised beneficiaries from the intellectual property
system to commit some of their earnings to rebuilding
infrastructure required to keep the system functional.

He said the commission was prepared to collaborate with
interested stakeholders to promote respect for intellectual
property and complement government’s commitment to growing human
capital in today’s knowledge-driven economy.

The Director, Public Affairs of the commission, Mr Chukwuemeka
Ngene, said the significance of the day was to raise global
awareness on the nature, contribution and importance of
intellectual property. (NAN)