The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has embarked on the sensitisation of printing press operators, highlighting the need to comply with the Copyright Act in order to curb piracy in Akwa Ibom.
Speaking after the exercise in Uyo on Thursday, Mrs Cordelia Ibanga, Coordinator of NCC in the state, said that the sensitisation exercise was aimed at monitoring the extent of compliance with the NCC Act.
She also said it was to sensitise operators and stakeholders on the provisions of the Act as regards to printers and printing press.
According to her, the NCC Act stipulates that each printer or printing press keeps a record book of its activities with clients, detailing the nature of work done, including timelines for delivery.
Ibanga educated the operators on the consequences of flouting the provisions of the act, stressing that ignorance of the law was not an excuse.
The NCC state coordinator observed that most of the printers and operators were oblivious of the Act and its provisions as they did not have records or register their activities or dealings with their clients.
“This is against the law and detrimental to their businesses, making them liable accomplice to piracy.
“The measures are towards combating the rising cases of piracy in the state and country.
“The NCC Act empowers the commission to carry out the exercise, following various meetings and advises to ensure compliance of operators before enforcement,” Ibanga said.
She added that the exercise was aimed at reducing piracy, minimising unauthorised reproduction and distribution of creative works.
She also said that it was aimed to encourage innovation by ensuring that creators benefited from their work, strengthen the creative economy, and support Nigeria’s creative sector growth.
The state coordinator urged the operators and stakeholders to shun piracy as it was detrimental to the growth of the industry and the nation’s economy.
Mr Kufre Akpan of Variety Media Suites Printing in Uyo noted that the proliferation of printing press had led to the rising cases of piracy, as everyone now acts as a printer.
Akpan pledged to collaborate with the commission to stamp out the menace of piracy from the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the place visited include; Segmo Printers, Variety Media Suites Printing, Edima Printing Press, and Libhat Printers, among others, all in the Uyo metropolis.
