We must use laws to kill piracy – Tinubu

The Senator representing the Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu has advocated the need to tackle the menace of book piracy with the adequate implementation of laws in the country. Tinubu who was the Chairperson of the 2019 Nigeria International Book Fair held in Lagos also said Nigerian book stakeholders should be ready to […]

The Senator representing the Lagos Central Senatorial District, Mrs Oluremi Tinubu has advocated the need to tackle the menace of book piracy with the adequate implementation of laws in the country.

Tinubu who was the Chairperson of the 2019 Nigeria International Book Fair held in Lagos also said Nigerian book stakeholders should be ready to accept the reality of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) which she said dictates the future of the book industry.

The Senator who was represented by a former Sole Administrator of the Eti-Osa Local Government, Mrs Abiodun Elegushi said every effort aimed at tackling piracy and reward human intellectual properties must be deployed at all times.

‘’Being a published author myself, I understand the fears and challenges that come with the territory. One of these is the issue of piracy and copyrights. Unless and until our laws are implemented to protect creatives, it will continue to be a problem.

‘’In my role as Senator, I will continue to support initiatives and legislations that protect Nigerian authors and every aspect of the value chain. I am also open to ideas and suggestions on how we can better protect the interests of concerned parties,’’ Senator Tinubu said.

Similarly, the Executive Director, Sidmach Technologies, Mike Olajide, who was the Guest Speaker, said the advent of ICT offers enormous opportunities for stakeholders despite the fact that pirates are also exploring new technology to abuse intellectual properties.

Olajide who was represented by Lanre Osanta spoke on the topic: ‘’Optimising New Technology in Book Development and Distribution for the Promotion of Book Trade in Africa’.

Earlier, the Chairman, Nigerian Book Fair Trust said industry stakeholders require government intervention in tackling the menace of piracy. He said further empowerment of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) will go a long way to tackle the menace of book piracy.