IN line with its mandate, the Nigerian Copyright Commission, (NCC) confiscated pirated materials worth five million naira (N5,000,000) after raiding the Mosafejo Market in Oshodi, and inspected a printing factory in Gbagada, where it arrested about five film hawkers and their wares.
At the printing factory in Gbagada, it was discovered that the printer was printing books of popular publishers in Nigeria. Although a senior staff of the company claimed that it got authorization from the publishers to print the books, this was however denied by one of the publishing firms, HEBN, whose book was found in the printer’s factory. The Assistant Sales Manager, HEBN, thanked the NCC for the raid, saying pirates had been ripping them off and eating from where they did not sow. He also pointed out the difference between the pirated copies and the original, as the pirated copies did not have title page.
Director Enforcement, Nigerian Copyright Commission, (NCC), Mr. Augustine Amodu, disclosed that NCC carried out the raid and inspected the printing factory based on intelligence information. He warned those engaging in pirating of creative works to desist, as the agency was bent on flushing them out. He maintained that all those arrested would be brought to book while the copyright body would continue to fight pirates. Amodu urged Nigerians to desist from patronising pirates and their products.
He said, “In the company which is located in the Gbagada area of Lagos, they reproduced a lot of books, among which are those belonging to Evans, HEBN, Nelson and LearnAfrica”.
Although the activities of the pirates were disturbing, the NCC would not relent in its efforts, adding, “What worries me most is the attitude of people who sell pirated 10-in-one movies. All the gains that are supposed to go to the rightful owners do not get to them. I am using this medium to warn those using MP3 and MP4 to pirate music to desist from doing so because we are ready for them more than ever before.
“During the raid in Oshodi, we saw the works that pirates sell for N80, 000. These are works that should have been sold for at least N200. The Federal Government should really help us because they are killing the industry”.
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