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Evolution and Future Trends of Copyright in Nigeria

  • Chapter
Copyright Perspectives

Abstract

This chapter examines the development of copyright in Nigeria by looking at the different legal regimes that have existed within Nigeria’s copyright system. It provides an historical perspective of the development of copyright law in Nigeria by tracing the introduction of the first indigenous copyright law in Nigeria and the current copyright legislation into the Nigerian legal system. The chapter highlights the issues with the first indigenous copyright legislation, discusses some of the provisions of the Act, and the subsidiary legislations that have been issued. It also examines the role of the Nigerian Copyright Commission as the agency saddled with the responsibility of administering Nigeria’s copyright laws. The chapter concludes with thoughts on the future for copyright in Nigeria.

This chapter was first published in the (2014) Journal of Open Access to Law Vol 2, No 1 and is reproduced by kind permission of the publisher.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    MFA (2013a).

  2. 2.

    MFA (2013b).

  3. 3.

    Sowole (2013).

  4. 4.

    The Bini’s are now referred to Benin’s of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and this should not be confused with Benin Republic.

  5. 5.

    Metropolitan Museum of Arts, Queen Mother Pendant Mask: Iyoba. On Display in Gallery 352., available at http://www.metmuseum.org/collections/search-the-collections/318622.

  6. 6.

    Federal Republic of Nigeria, About Nigeria, available at http://www.nigeria.gov.ng/2012-10-29-11-05-46.

  7. 7.

    Assessing the participation of domestic SMEs in the international production chain: The case of Nu Metro in Nigeria (2010). Available at http://unctad.org/en/Docs/diaeed20095_en.pdf.

  8. 8.

    Chris Butler, FC74: The invention of the printing press and its effects at http://www.flowofhistory.com/units/west/11/FC74.

  9. 9.

    Olukunle (2013), pp. 6–7.

  10. 10.

    Statute of Anne, 8 Anne c. 19 (1710).

  11. 11.

    WIPO, WIPO Administered Treaties, available at http://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/. WIPO provides a comprehensive list of all national and international copyright legislation.

  12. 12.

    Nigerian Copyright Act, Cap C28 (2004).

  13. 13.

    WIPO, What is Intellectual Property, available at http://www.wipo.int/about-ip/en/.

  14. 14.

    Section 6 (1) Cap C28 (2004). where it states “copyright … shall be the exclusive right to control the doing in Nigeria of the following…”.

  15. 15.

    Id. at Section 12 (b).

  16. 16.

    Fitzgerald et al. (2006), p. 80. Where it was noted that “the whole purpose is information is to be shared as the purpose of bread is to be eaten”.

  17. 17.

    Section 5(2) Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, September 9, 1886, amended last on September 28, 1979 (September 9, 1886).

  18. 18.

    WIPO, Copyright Registration and Documentation, available at http://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/activities/copyright_registration/.

  19. 19.

    Section 408 The Copyright Act of 1976 Title 17 of United States Code (1976).

  20. 20.

    Id. at Sections 411 and 412.

  21. 21.

    NCC, General Information on Copyright Notification Scheme, available at http://www.copyright.gov.ng/index.php/regulatory-schemes/copyright-notification.

  22. 22.

    See Section 34 (3) eCap C28 (2004). Section 34 in general provides for the establishment of the Nigerian Copyright Commission.

  23. 23.

    Section 1(2) a&b, id. at.

  24. 24.

    Francis (2013).

  25. 25.

    Royal Irish Academy, MS 24, 25. See also, Cahill (1995), pp. 14 and 170.

  26. 26.

    World History, History of Nigeria, available at http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/plaintexthistories.asp?historyid=ad41.Nigeria was under British Colonization from 1900 till 1960 when she gained her Independence. British interests in Nigeria however predates 1900.

  27. 27.

    Adewopo (2012).

  28. 28.

    Davis (2008), p. 28. Particularly at 2.12, 2.14 & 2.15.

  29. 29.

    Asein (2012).

  30. 30.

    OLA, Copyright Collective Administration in Nigeria Lessons for Africa 28, Springer 2013.

  31. 31.

    UNESCO (1952).

  32. 32.

    Wikipedia, Music of Nigeria, available at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Nigeria#The_1950s.2C_.2760s_and_.2770s.

  33. 33.

    Okoroji (2008).

  34. 34.

    Author, Fire in Soweto (Youtube).

  35. 35.

    Okoroji (2008).

  36. 36.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission (2008). See the foreword at page v.

  37. 37.

    Okoroji (2008).

  38. 38.

    Section 1 (1) (a)–(f) Cap C28 (2004).

  39. 39.

    Id. at Section 1 (2) (a) & (b).

  40. 40.

    Id. at Section 1 (4).

  41. 41.

    Id. at Section 2.

  42. 42.

    Id. at Section 3.

  43. 43.

    Id. at Section 4.

  44. 44.

    Id. at Section 5.

  45. 45.

    Id. at Section 24.

  46. 46.

    Id. at Section 15 (1).

  47. 47.

    Id. at Section 16 (3).

  48. 48.

    NCC V GODWIN KADIRI, FHC/B/43C/2010 (Federal High Court, Benin-City. 17/12/2012).

  49. 49.

    NCC V MICHAEL PAUL, FHC/LF/CR/2/2013 (Federal High Court, Lafia 3/10/2013).

  50. 50.

    NCC V EMORDI HENRY CHUKWUMA, FHC/ABJ/CR/90/2013 (Federal High Court, Abuja. 19/06/2013).

  51. 51.

    NCC V NWOKE ISREAL, FHC/L/159C/2013 (Federal High Court, Lagos 6/05/2013).

  52. 52.

    Cap C28 (2004). Section 34.

  53. 53.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC, About NCC Historical Background, available at http://www.copyright.gov.ng/index.php/about-us/ncc-historical-background.

  54. 54.

    Cap C28 (2004). Section 37.

  55. 55.

    Id. at Section 39 (1).

  56. 56.

    Id. at Section 45.

  57. 57.

    Id. at Section 38. This section was introduced into the Act through the 1992 Amendment to the Act as Section 32A.

  58. 58.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (2008).

  59. 59.

    NCC (2012). See page 3 where it mentions the vision, mission and strategies of the Commission.

  60. 60.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC, Nigerian Copyright Institute, available at http://www.copyright.gov.ng/index.php/2013-02-10-16-11-10/nigerain-copyright-institute-nci.

  61. 61.

    NCC (2012), pp. 10–11 where the activities where listed under the heading “Enhancing Copyright Awareness and Education”.

  62. 62.

    NCC, About NCC Historical Background.

  63. 63.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (1972).

  64. 64.

    Adewopo (2011), p. 186.

  65. 65.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (1999a).

  66. 66.

    See Section 20 (2) a, b, c & d. Cap C28 (2004).

  67. 67.

    Regulation 5(1&2) Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (1999b).

  68. 68.

    Id. at.

  69. 69.

    S.34 (2) e Cap C28 (2004).

  70. 70.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (2005).

  71. 71.

    Adewopo (2011).

  72. 72.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (2006).

  73. 73.

    OLA, Copyright Collective Administration in Nigeria Lessons for Africa 8. 2013. “The rationale for this system of management arises from the impracticability of managing these activities individually, namely the inability of the individual right owner to personally monitor and enforce all of his rights in every situation”.

  74. 74.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (2007). The earlier regulation was called Copyright (Collecting Societies) Regulation 1993.

  75. 75.

    Nigerian Copyright Commission NCC (2012).

  76. 76.

    NCC (2012). See pp. 6–9.

  77. 77.

    Vanguard (2013).

  78. 78.

    Deere (2009), p. 232. “…the world’s poorest countries adopt some of the world’s highest IP standards at an earlier date than TRIPS required”.

  79. 79.

    Suber (2012), pp. 4–5; See also, Budapest Open Access Initiative, Ten years on from the Budapest Open Access Initiative: Setting the default to open, available at http://www.opensocietyfoundations.org/openaccess/boai-10-recommendations.

  80. 80.

    OLA, Copyright Collective Administration in Nigeria Lessons for Africa 4. 2013.

  81. 81.

    Strauss (2013).

  82. 82.

    World Bank (2012). Where the World Bank Group President Robert Zoellick said “knowledge is power”.

  83. 83.

    Richard Stallman, The GNU Project at http://www.gnu.org/gnu/thegnuproject.html.

  84. 84.

    Fitzgerald (2007).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Thomas More Academy of Law, Australian Catholic University, 486 Albert Street, East Melbourne, VIC, 3002, Australia

    Kunle Ola

  2. Nigerian Copyright Commission, Abuja, Nigeria

    Kunle Ola

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  1. Kunle Ola
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Correspondence to Kunle Ola .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Thomas More Academy of Law, Australian Catholic University, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    Brian Fitzgerald

  2. Thomas More Academy of Law, Australian Catholic University, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

    John Gilchrist

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Ola, K. (2015). Evolution and Future Trends of Copyright in Nigeria. In: Fitzgerald, B., Gilchrist, J. (eds) Copyright Perspectives. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-15913-3_7

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