Nov 28, 2019
Intellectual property
law such as those regulating patents and industrial designs,
Copyrights, Trademarks, etc; essentially all seek to promote
innovation by preventing anyone from taking undue commercial
benefits from someone else’s original intellectual work. Copyright
registration awards certain exclusive rights to Artists, Authors,
Creatives and even body corporates and government agencies over
their works. However, a significant advantage of Copyright in
comparison to other forms of Intellectual property is that prior
registration is not mandatory before an owner’s right can be
protected by law.
From the traditional
entertainment patterns of the early 90s to the more
mainstream/integrated entertainment industry of today, the Nigerian
entertainment industry has incessantly suffered copyright
infringements/ piracy issues. Logically, these infringements and
issues have made it difficult for Artists/Entertainers and other
creatives to benefit fully from their work.
Fortunately, in a world
where public consumption of entertainment has moved from cassette
players to online music/video streaming, the Nigerian entertainment
sector has also evolved. The evolution experienced in the past
decade can be attributed to the public awareness and monetization
of Copyright.
For example, in the
Music industry, owners of Copyrighted Materials such as song
writers, composers and publishers are entitled to “royalties”
whenever their creative work is commercially utilized for public
consumption. These “Royalties” are basically the amount paid to the
copyright-holders when their creative works are monetized in any
form.
With several online
streaming platforms such as Tidal and Spotify, Royalties are a very
lucrative way for music entertainers to make money.
In sum, as an artist or
creative in this fast-paced globally connected and competitive
world, protecting ones art/ creation by enjoying exclusive
ownership rights over such creative works cannot be
overemphasized.
Now more than ever, it
is time Nigerian artists, songwriters, authors and other creatives
of their ilk prioritize the protection of their intellectual
property as they would any other physical
property.
Have
you listened to our podisodes? Would you like to join the
conversation? Then, make sure you subscribe to our podcast on
ITunes, Youtube and Google Podcast. or
visit
our website at
everythingiplaw.com and follow us on Instagram and Twitter at
everythingiplaw.