‘DStv subscription doesn’t authorise broadcast of creative works in public places’

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Monday, he said such acts are extension of piracy and his society is ready to take legal actions against violators to ensure that artistes benefit from their intellectual works. “I am informed that someone has misled owners of hotels, restaurants and similar public establishments in Nigeria that the […]

Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Monday, he said such acts are extension of piracy and his society is ready to take legal actions against violators to ensure that artistes benefit from their intellectual works.

“I am informed that someone has misled owners of hotels, restaurants and similar public establishments in Nigeria that the payment of their DSTV subscriptions authorizes them to freely play music to their customers and to the general public,” he said.

“There is no better place to state publicly that the payment of subscription to receive DSTV signals is not the same as a copyright licence to communicate music and sound recordings to the general public. Hotels, restaurants and similar establishments which have not done so should get in touch with COSON without delay. Let me clarify that individuals who subscribe to DSTV and do not use the subscription in a business or public setting need no copyright licence for the full enjoyment by themselves, their families or friends of the music and sound recordings received via DSTV in their homes,” he explained.

Okoroji   said that COSON has deployed diverse communication tools to reach out to the various publics, employing both traditional and digital media to sensitize the public on piracy and its impact on artistes.

He lamented the mass duplication of artistes’ works by Lagos and Enugu based pirates but added that there is another kind of piracy that has been undermining creative efforts in the country.

“The unlicensed broadcast, communication to the public and unauthorized download of musical works and sound recordings in the digital age, the age of mp3s, mp4s, ipods, ipads, iphones, flash drives, etc are as cruel and as devastating as the notorious piracy that has gone on at Alaba and Electromart. At the end of the day, they all produce the same results – Monkey dey work, baboon dey chop or Monkey is working very hard yet monkey has nothing to chop.”

He  said that the effort  of  the association  has  led  to  the  first multimillion naira distribution of copyright royalties from the collective management,  which   hundreds of Nigeria’s artistes benefited from.

“I affirm that COSON will distribute more money to music industry stakeholders this year than it did last year. That will be possible because of those organizations that have shown respect for the laws of Nigeria and have committed themselves to respect the intellectual property rights of those who create and invest in the music that helps drive such businesses as broadcasting, hotels, night clubs, restaurants, airlines, etc.”