Business News (Copyrights) —Mr. Afam Ezekude, the Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission, has said that the need to make the country's copyright laws address current realities informed the move to reform them.
Ezekude made the remarks in Lagos during a stakeholders' forum with artistes and other practitioners in the music industry.
He noted that the commission initiated the reform process to reposition Nigeria's creative industries for greater growth and competitiveness.
Ezekude said, "The goals of the reform process include to update and upgrade the Copyright Act for the digital age; to facilitate new innovation and new models of access to knowledge and encourage and reward new forms of creativity."
According to him, the reforms will also enable Nigeria's creative industries to adapt and leverage new technological platforms for distribution and enforcement of rights in global markets.
"Like other major economies around the world, "Ezekude further stated,'the Nigerian copyright system is directed at learning and creativity that facilitate the participation of Nigeria and its citizens in the global cultural marketplace. The system has multiple shareholders with diverse and sometimes competing interests. The reform process seeks to understand the priorities and concerns of all stakeholders and it intends to reconcile the various interests within a comprehensive and rigorous framework."
Among other stages, the NCC has scheduled meetings with members of the information technology sector, the film and publishing industries, academic, legal and hospitality groups.
Saying these would hold between January and March next year, Ezekude added, "The role of courts, customs and the police is an important part of rights administration. The reform process also seeks to address the constraints evident in the application of the law and to ensure that effective processes exist to address the interests reflected in the legislation."–Punch
