Microsoft Word - Achieving the promise of african cultural e

Enforce copyright protection and assure law enforcement

The first step to combat piracy is to ensure that all films and songs are copyrighted. That in turn requires that all music and movie-makers register their own businesses and products. Only if intellectual property is registered can it be protected. At the moment very few Nigerians register their IPR. Registering IPR for films and music in Nigeria is also a first step to protecting IPR in overseas markets. The most important export markets in the US and EU both require that the IPR is registered in the home country first.

This paper recommends a three steps approach to help the Nigeria establish a successful anti-piracy campaign through public sector capacity building, public awareness building and law enforcement. 1. Enhance public sector capacity . It is critical to enhance the capacity of the most important anti-piracy public sector bodies (NCC, NCS, NIPC, SON) operating in Nigeria. For instance it is imperative to provide capacity building support to NCC staff, which has to be appropriately trained since NPC is key actor for the coordination between the various ministries dealing with IPR issues. 2. Build Public Awareness regarding IPR . One of the causes of endemic levels of IP piracy is the ignorance of the general public on IP rights. It is vital that the Ministry of Information provides the public with the right perspective through its powerful media presence. The Ministry of Commerce similarly has the overall regulatory authority and responsibility for these industries. The IP rights offenders violate numerous statutes established by the Ministry for instance the trademark infringement. As it is today, all sections of the IP industries suffer from a lack of supporting infrastructure ranging from poor distribution networks, to general ignorance of government laws and support programs. It is particularly serious in the IP sector (contrasted to other parts of the economy) because the country has only recently begun to understand the latent potential in this sector, and is yet to establish specific provisions to duly recognize and handle various pertinent issues. 3. Law enforcement . The manufacturers and distributors of pirated products are tax evaders. Not only do they not pay tax but their illegitimate sales of counterfeit products prevent the legitimate owners from selling their wares and paying taxes resulting in billions of naira in lost revenue. Thus it is imperative that the Federal Inland Revenue Service joins the fight against piracy. Further the Economic and

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