By Innocent Anaba

Copyright owners under the auspices of Concerned Copyright and Intellectual Property Owners, CCIPO, have decried the monopoly of the business of collecting societies in the copyright sector of the economy by an alleged cabal in the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC, saying it negates the spirit of President Goodluck Jonathan’s transformation agenda, which centered on observance of the rule of law and opening up the country’s economy to enable all Nigerians participate.

CCIPO, meanwhile, called for the implementation of the December 18, 2013, House of Representatives’ Resolution directing the NCC to immediately de-monopolise the collective administration of copyright particularly, the business of royalty collection in the entertainment industry.

National Coordinator of CCIPO, Mr Mike Pam in a letter to the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, SAN, called on the minister to invoke his powers as the supervisory minister in charge of copyright and other intellectual property matters under Section 50 of the Copyright Act and intervene to bring justice and equity into the entertainment and intellectual rights sector.

He recalled that on August 5, 2010, it had led a large delegation to protest the monopoly imposed on the business of collecting societies in the copyright sector of the economy by a cabal in NCC and demanded for immediate de-monopolisation of collective administration of copyright particularly, the business of royalty collection in the entertainment industry.

Pam noted that the minister had on the said day, promised that the issue willbe resolved within two weeks of their visit and urged them to hold him to his words.