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From Taiwo Oluwadare, Ibadan
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has disclosed that it is prosecuting operators of online platforms, including BetNaija and MovieBox, over alleged copyright infringement, warning that digital platforms involved in the unauthorised distribution of copyrighted materials risk severe legal consequences.
The commission said its enforcement efforts were aimed at protecting the intellectual property rights of authors, publishers, filmmakers and other creative professionals against online piracy and unauthorised exploitation of their works.
The Deputy Director, Regulatory and Compliance Department of the NCC, Barrister Kunle Olatunji, disclosed this on Thursday during the National Advocacy Programme of the Reproduction Rights Society of Nigeria (REPRONIG) for the South-West Zone, held at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
Speaking during an interview at the event, Olatunji explained that the Copyright Act 2022 had strengthened Nigeria’s legal framework for addressing copyright violations, particularly in the digital environment.
He said the law empowered the commission to take action against websites involved in copyright infringement, including measures capable of shutting down entire infringing websites rather than merely removing individual copyrighted materials.
Citing examples of the commission’s enforcement activities, Olatunji said: “I think you’ve heard of BetNaija. We are prosecuting the guy behind BetNaija. That’s why you can’t see BetNaija anywhere again. We are also prosecuting MovieBox. Those are online platforms that distribute movies and what have you.”
He stressed that the provisions of the law applied equally to the publishing industry and other sectors whose creative works were reproduced or distributed without the permission of their owners.
According to him, the Copyright Act contains specific provisions protecting creative works in the online environment, including safeguards against tampering with technological protection measures and removing rights management information attached to copyrighted materials.
He added that the law also provides for the responsibilities of internet service providers in addressing copyright infringement.
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On the growing use of artificial intelligence, the NCC official warned that technological advancement did not extinguish the copyright protection enjoyed by original creators.
He maintained that copyright remained a human right and that artificial intelligence could not be used as justification for aggregating people’s creative works for machine learning and subsequent distribution without respecting the intellectual property rights of the original owners.
Olatunji warned that individuals and organisations found culpable of copyright infringement could face fines, imprisonment, asset forfeiture or a combination of sanctions, depending on the severity of the offence.
He urged Nigerians to respect intellectual property rights, stressing that using another person’s creative work without permission amounted to stealing.
“The main thing about it is things around legal or lawful access, public interest and the need to respect the rights of creators,” he said.
The disclosure came during REPRONIG’s sensitisation programme themed “Nigerian Copyright Law and the Role of REPRONIG”, which brought together authors, publishers, academics, librarians, visual artists and representatives of tertiary institutions across the South-West.
The Acting Executive Director of REPRONIG, Mr Tosin Akeredolu, also emphasised the need to protect the reproduction rights of copyright owners, particularly amid increasing digital distribution and unauthorised access to creative works.
He explained that REPRONIG was licensed to administer secondary reproduction rights in the text and image-based sector, including photocopying, scanning, digital downloads and sharing of copyrighted materials across digital networks.
