The President, Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Dr Usman-Oladipo Akanbi, has called on the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to organise regular sensitisation programmes for authors on provisions of the Copyright Act.
Akanbi made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja, saying continuous education would help authors comply with copyright regulations and reduce violations.
He said ANA maintained a strong working relationship with the commission, noting that cases of copyright infringement were often referred to the commission for appropriate action.
“We have been engaging the commission to help sensitise our members regarding the provisions of the copyright acts.
“It is not easy tracking copyright infringements, so, we usually encourage authors within our association to cooperate with the commission.
“We urge members to provide useful information that can help combat the menace of book piracy.
“Advocating for greater awareness will help to curb high rates of infringement,” he said.
He commended the NCC for its collaboration with ANA, describing the commission’s interventions and knowledge-sharing initiatives as impactful to members.
The ANA president, however, identified digital platforms and social media as emerging threats to intellectual property rights.
“There exists an imperative to devise a mechanism whereby creators can derive revenue from online readership, particularly in instances where their work has been pirated or copyright infringements have occurred.
”This is an area where I humbly suggest the Copyright Commission can focus its efforts on,” he said.
NAN reports that the Copyright Act grants creators exclusive legal rights over the use, reproduction, distribution and adaptation of their original literary, artistic, or musical works for a limited time.
The Act protects against unauthorised exploitation, ensuring that creators receive recognition and rewards for their intellectual efforts, typically lasting for the author’s lifetime plus 70 years.
