Piracy: Overcoming intellectualism and suppression of creativity

While many rack their brains to produce creative works such as novels, inventions, and music, pirates dubiously wait in the background to pounce on successful works to defraud their original owners and make wealth for themselves in the process.

Piracy has been variously described as the worst enemy of intellectualism.

On Aug. 19, 1989, the Federal Government moved to stem this trend and bring intellectual property thieves to book by inaugurating the Nigerian Copyright Council.

In April 1996, the council transformed into the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), a process that was legalized through the Copyright (Amendment) Act 1999.

However, the NCC was strengthened under Section 34 of the Copyright Act (Cap. 28 of the Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004).

The commission is the government agency responsible for all copyright matters in Nigeria, including the administration, regulation, enforcement, and prosecution under the Copyright Act.

Section 25 of the Act also provides for anti-piracy measures, which empowers the commission to make regulations to combat copyright piracy in the country.

The Act also provides for an anti-piracy operations team to confiscate pirated materials or arrest any person or persons who commit the offense of piracy.

The commission has done its best to keep to its mandates and keep the nation's intellectual space free of pirates, with a view to ensuring that creative minds enjoy the fruits of their labor.

For instance, on December 16, 2021, it arrested three suspected pirates and confiscated pirated books worth about N5 million in Abuja during an enforcement operation.

The commission's Director of Operations, Mr. Obi Ezeilo, described the operation as a major hit on book piracy in Abuja.

Ezeilo said that the commission's operatives, backed by armed policemen, stormed bookshops at Garki Market on Dec. 14 and apprehended the suspects.

According to him, this is a renewed drive to rid markets of pirated books and enforce copyright laws.

"Preliminary reports show that about 907 infringing copies of religious, motivational, and educational titles belonging to various publishers were among the seizures."

"The titles seized include New General Mathematics for Senior Secondary, Book 3, Modular English, Book 5, by Evans; Nigerian Primary English, Pupil, Book 4, by Learn Africa; National Common Entrance Examination, English, and Verbal Aptitude, authored by Ugo C. Ugo.

"Others are the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary, the Harrap Paperback French Dictionary, Islamic Studies for Senior Secondary Schools, Book 3 by University Press Plc, and Bibles," he stated.

Ezeilo said the anti-piracy operation followed tip-offs by rights owners and intensified intelligence gathering and surveillance by the Commission's operatives.

He indicated that the suspects would be prosecuted.

In a related development, Mr. Collins Nweke, the NCC Director in Port Harcourt, said that its operatives had arrested one man over alleged illicit redistribution of broadcast signals belonging to various right owners.

Nweke said, "In an anti-piracy operation executed from Sept. 16 into the wee hours of Sept. 17, 2022, the suspect, who had evaded arrest, was traced and apprehended by security operatives."

"He was arrested at his base in Port Harcourt, Rivers, while carrying out the unauthorised redistribution of the signals,'' he said.

The director said that the operation was carried out in collaboration with other law enforcement agencies, following months of surveillance by the operatives.

"The contraptions seized included DSTV, GOTV, Strong, and FTA decoders, as well as other materials used for the illicit distribution of signals to subscribers who make payments to the suspect to receive the pirated signals."

"The suspect has made useful statements, and the investigation is ongoing with a view toward a likely prosecution."

"The suspect is believed to have a customer base of over three thousand (3,000) subscribers on his illegal broadcast network, and the commission is processing the information to get to the root of the crime," he said.

Similarly, Mr. Mike Akpan, the Commission's Director of the Nigerian Copyright Academy, said its operatives arrested three suspects and confiscated 1,600 pirated books valued at N2 million while carrying out anti-piracy operations in Abuja.

Akpan said the operations were carried out at Area 1 Shopping Complex in Abuja, adding that the enforcement was made possible through intelligence and monitoring exercises.

"In the course of the operations, four bookshops operated by Venco Bookshop (1 outlet), Gozie Bookshop (1 outlet), and Kizito Bookshop (3 outlets) were visited.

"Suspected pirated books, numbering about 1,600 copies with an estimated market value of N2 million, were seized from these outlets, while three suspects were arrested," Akpan said.

He said the suspects and the suspected pirated materials were conveyed to the commission's office in Abuja for debriefing.

"The commission has commenced a full investigation into the cases with a view to obtaining information for further necessary action," he said.

Akpan said that any suspect found to be in violation of the law and other persons implicated in the violation would be duly prosecuted.

In a related development, the Director-General of the NCC, Dr. John Asein, also said operatives of the commission arrested four suspects and impounded pirated books valued at N2.5 million in Wuse Market in Abuja.

Asein said that the commission made the arrest when a team of operatives carried out monitoring and enforcement operations in the market.

He said one of the suspects escaped arrest while the search for more pirated books was on in his shop.

He said that the impounded books included story books and literature, including his published book titled "Introduction to the Nigerian Legal System," which was out of print ten years ago.

"In the last three years, we have renewed our commitment to the fight against piracy."

"No effort will be spared in discovering and apprehending those involved in these heinous crimes, irrespective of their status and locations."

"Books are a prime target of pirates, and they have robbed investors in the publishing industry of vital returns on their investment."

Piracy has removed food from the tables of intellectuals and innovators. No country that wants to progress condones piracy.

As the NCC chief said, it is impact is felt more in the literacy circles. "Our educational system suffers the indignity of a gradual depletion of resources for learning due to the loss of investment in publishing," he said.

Considering the enormous damage it causes to the nation, the fight against piracy is one that every stakeholder should be part of.