NCC Promises Continuous Arrest Of Pirates

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), has said that it would continue to arrest individuals and seal companies that engage in illegal copying of works without copyright permission.
NCC Deputy Director of Enforcement Unit, Mr Mathew Ojo,  who disclosed this in Lagos, confirmed the arrest of some suspects and the sealing up of some companies to newsmen on Saturday.
Ojo said that the suspects were arrested and the companies sealed up for replicating other peoples’ works with replicating plants without the compliance of the commission regulations.
According to him, regular arrest and sealing off are to sanitise the entertainment industry and also to get rid of companies engaging in illegal duplication of pirated works.
“It is a punishable offence for companies to engage in illegal copying of works without copyright permission, “ Ojo said.
He said that the areas visited for inspection included, Agboju, Navy town, Lagos-Island, Ijesha, Surulere and Ojo-Alaba.
He added that the two days inspection was to check the operations and activities of the registered replication plants, whether they are complying with NCC rules and regulations or not.
The director added that the inspection was also to arrest and sealed unregistered companies.
“It is dangerous to the entertainment industry and the nation‘s economy if the commission did not embark on periodic check of such companies.
This is because illegal copyright works will be carried out in such companies and such company might escape registration and taxes which is not healthy to Nigeria economy,’’ he said.
According to him, the rules of the commission is for replicating companies to register with NCC for permission to import replicating plants, to install and to get Source Identity Code (SID) before operations.
“These are the legal procedure that any company that want to engage in replications of CD and copyright works must comply with.
“The commission is assuring the copyright owners of enjoying their works by eradication of quacks, illegal operators, pirates and non-compliance out of the industry,’’ he said.
Ojo urged the Federal Government to adequately fund the commission to be able to discharge its mandate effectively.