Rivers State Government has declared its readiness to partner with the Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) to protect intellectual property rights in the state.
This follows a declaration by the Audio Visual Rights society that piracy is a criminal offence.
The Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information and Communications Rivers State, Barrister Ibiwari Clapton Ogolo, made this known while declaring open a stakeholders forum organised by AVRS in Port Harcourt.
Ogolo also said the government was taking the steps to ensure reduction in the unauthorised use of audio visual materials in the state.
She said the Ministry of Information and Communications will also use its organs of information to educate and enlighten the public who, “through the commercial and public use of audio visual works, promote their business to also meet their copyright obligations”.
She noted that piracy, copying and unauthorised use of intellectual property has dealt severe blows to owners of such works and commended the society for the campaign.
“This your struggles over the years which culminated in the establishment of a law, which mandates organisations that publicly or commercially use audio visual works for purposes of entertainment to be licensed by AVRS.
“This action remains the catalyst for the continuous growth of the creative industry and should be supported by everyone”, she said.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the AVRS, Mahmud Ali Balogun, who declared that piracy is now a criminal offence in an interview with newsmen at the stakeholders forum, said the law has made it a criminal offence for any one who steals intellectual property.
He said the AVRS is not an association but a collective management organization that is charged with the duty of collecting royalties for copy right owners in Nigeria.
Noting that the society has been in existence since 2004, he said, “The Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (Ltd/Gte) is the only organisation which by law is permitted to carry on collective management of right in films in Nigeria.
“AVRS is therefore empowered under the extant laws, to engage in the issuance of licenses on behalf of copyright owners in the film industry, for public and commercial use of films, collecting royalties accruing from such licenses and distributing same to copy right owners”, he said.
He commended the Rivers State Government for its support in sensitising the public in this direction.
Also speaking, the Director of Culture, Rivers State Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Mr. Fred Ndigbara, said AVRS was an idea whose time had come.
He said his Ministry will key into the programme by sensitising hoteliers on the need to respect copyright laws.
Ndigbara also informed the forum of the move by the State Government to unbundle the hospitality sector, adding that the government is doing everything possible to ensure that people with creative ideas benefited from their works.
The Director charged them not to rest until the right thing is done as far as the sector was concerned.

By: John Bibor