As Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) intensifies antipiracy interventions in Nigeria, the Commission has charged printers in the country to be vigilant in accepting printing jobs only from right owners in line with the provisions of the Copyright Act geared at checking the scourge of copyright infringements.

The Director-General of NCC, Dr. John O. Asein, disclosed this in Kaduna on 5th July 2021 while handing over 17,400 seized pirated books worth ten million, five hundred thousand Naira (N10,500,000.00) to the right owner, Alhaji Kamar O. Giwa, in company of his counsel, Mr. Tumininu Aluko Olokun.

The NCC Director of Operations, Mr. Obi Ezeilo who represented the DG, handed over the impounded books entitled, Computer Studies Guide for Primary Schools.
The literary works were seized following a complaint lodged by the right owner with the Commission in October 2020 bordering on issues of plagiarism, infringement and unauthorised printing of his books by his sales representative, Mr. Lamin Manneh, believed to be a Gambian national. The Commission is on the trail of the suspect who is currently at large.

The Director-General tasked the printers to keep the register of all works executed by them as required by the Copyright Act. He said the Commission’s operatives would be going round the Kaduna Metropolis to ascertain and document the number of printing outlets for the purpose of having a data bank of producers and users of copyright works.

The Director, Kaduna Office, Mr. Hassan Usman, had earlier noted that the handing over of the seized works to right owners was in accordance with the Commission’s mandate under the Copyright Act.

He called for the cooperation of right owners in the State for speedy disclosure of relevant information to the Commission to boost the national antipiracy campaign.
Some stakeholders in attendance commended the Commission on its efforts towards curbing the incidence of piracy in the country. They lauded the right owner of the seized works, Mr. Giwa, for his proactive steps in providing the NCC with relevant information that facilitated the seizure.

Those in attendance included the Commissioner of Police, represented by DSP Shamsudeen Umar; the Assistant Comptroller of Immigrations, Zone B, represented by Mr. A. M. Abdullahi; Assistant Comptroller, Nigerian Correctional Service, represented by Mr. Abdullahi Akun.

Others were the Deputy Director, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs. Rhoda Gupada; Chairman Kaduna Masters Printers Association, Mr. Yusuf Abiola; the North West Zonal Manager, University Press Plc, Mr. Femi Oguntoye; Chairman, Association of Book Sellers, Kaduna, Mr. Jude Keston and Assistant Director (Legal), Kaduna State Office, NCC, Hajia Rukayyat Muhammad Yeldu.

Amos Abutu
For: Director-General