THE Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has reaffirmed its commitment to curb piracy in the Book Industry. This indication was given by the Director-General of the Commission, Dr. John O. Asein while speaking at an interactive meeting with Chief Executive Officers of publishing companies which held in Ikeja, Lagos on 28th July, 2023.
Explaining that the meeting was an outcome of a prior meeting with the antipiracy committee of Nigerian Publishers Association, the DG informed that the Commission is ready to confront book pirates frontally in view of the 2023/2024 book season. He reiterated the need for publishing companies to improve on their response time when called upon for logistic support during emergency antipiracy operations, imploring every publisher to show more commitment to the antipiracy efforts of the Commission and to be proactive ahead of the book season.
The DG, informed that the new Copyright Act empowers the Commission to seal premises suspected to be used to perpetrate piracy and disclosed the Commission’s reintroduction of the 4D hologram device to be stamped on books in line with the fight against book piracy. As part of the Commission’s proactive measures to curbing piracy, Dr Asein hinted that bookshop inspections will become more forensic.
The meeting ended with the publishers resolving to support the Commission in its antipiracy activities, as well as providing hard evidence and intelligence to aid its operations going forward.

Olumide Oduntan
For: Director-General.