Nigeria’s piracy problems do not just include the ones happening in the seas, but also the kind that occurs on the internet. The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has planned to introduce the Nigerian Copyright Act during its upcoming 8th National Assembly. Thus, they are joining forces with ISPs to pinpoint and shut down infringing websites.
The digital piracy bill aims to protect the property of copyright owners and will impose severe sanctions on offenders. According to Afam Ezekude, NCC’s Director General, it will impose a minimum of 2% copyright levy order on DVDs, photocopiers, phones, and many other digital products made in Nigeria or are imported before the end of May 2015.
The Director General explained that the levy may be used to compensate copyright owners, although it can also be used to infringe on copyright. It is now awaiting approval from the Minister of Finance.
Ezekude also stressed that as online piracy is the current trend, it’s high time for the government to acknowledge the issue by creating more stringent strategies of punishment for copyright infringers in discouraging their illegal acts of piracy.
The Nigerian Copyright Act is to uphold the international treaties that Nigeria has signed, which includes developing stronger copyright laws and serious penalties for infringers.
