By Ayo Onikoyi

Africa’s foremost and leading entertainment company, MultiChoice has held a roundtable discussion to address the negative impacts of piracy on the film and entertainment industry in particular and the economy in general.

The brainstorming session took place at the MultiChoice Boardroom, Tiamiyu Savage, Victoria Island, Lagos on Wednesday. The event tagged: ‘Piracy Untells Our Stories’, had in attendance some selected stakeholders in the film and entertainment industry. The aim of the brainstorming session, according to the organisers, is to address the challenges of piracy through the establishment and fostering of collaborative measures by all stakeholders.

The discussions were also designed as a means to foster more effective and efficient collaborative measures among the various key stakeholders in the anti-piracy campaign. It also creates strategies and solutions to the dangerous activities of content thieves in and around the film and entertainment industry. These sinister activities lead to loss of revenues, jobs and also rubbish the entire censoring systems, if allowed to thrive.

The anti-piracy round table discussions were filled with in-depth discussions, knowledge sharing, and the formulation of effective and efficient counter-measures to combat piracy in a digital era.

Executive Head, Content and West Africa Channels at MultiChoice West Africa, Dr Busola Tejumola harped on the imperative to host such an event which serves as a platform whose objective is to exchange knowledge, encourage collaboration between industry players, discuss and develop initiatives to raise public awareness about the consequences of piracy and the importance of supporting legitimate and censored content. She posited that piracy is a shared problem with vicarious liabilities.

She said: “As we navigate the complex landscape of digital content distribution, it is imperative that we unite against the common threat of piracy. Piracy takes away all that a producer has worked for. Our event signifies a commitment to collaborative efforts, where industry leaders come together to share insights, develop strategies, and fortify our defences against content theft. I urge everyone to join the fight against piracy. Together, we can ensure a vibrant and sustainable future for the creative industry.”

Victor Okhai, President, Directors Guild of Nigeria, stated that proper and strategic communication is a key factor in the fight against piracy. “The biggest challenge with fighting piracy is that we do not communicate in the language that the common man understands. I think the messaging from the Nigerian Copyright Commission and concerned bodies have to be tailored to the audience,” he said.

Intellectual Property Expert and Legal practitioner, Obafemi Agaba, stated that understanding the danger of piracy is a key strategy in the fight against the crime. He said: “We need to let people understand the danger piracy causes to talents. MultiChoice and other relevant parties need to advocate for funding of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in the fight against piracy.”

Other discussants and members of the panel were: Charles Amudipe, Deputy Director, Operations, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Lagos as well as Chinenye Nworah, Producer of Slum King.

Suffice to mention that MultiChoice recently earned the 2023 edition of the prestigious and highly coveted Promax Awards for its pioneering campaign against piracy. The Piracy Untells Our Stories project, according to the company, has so far gulped a whopping $85 million in local content in the last two decades. This intervention has also created numerous opportunities for young creators to earn a decent living from their honest works.