The Nigerian Copyright Fee has apprehended 3 book shop house owners in Rivers Situation over alleged involvement in stock piracy.
The Director, NCC, Port Harcourt Directorate, Abdul Babatunde, disclosed this on Tuesday in a while then an anti-piracy operation throughout the Port Harcourt city.
Babatunde said that the fee confiscated suspected pirated books importance N3 million all over the operation.
He stated that the suspects have been recently present process investigation, and can be prosecuted then information about their involvement within the employment have been established.
The NCC professional stated it used to be a part of the fee’s mandate to give protection to and advertise the rights of authors and alternative traders within the copyright ecosystem.
Consistent with him, the fee additionally guarantees that authors and artists get the rewards in their withered paintings.
“The commission is committed to seeing that the activities of pirates in Rivers and Bayelsa are reduced to the barest minimum,” he stated.
Babatunde stated that the NCC Director-Common, Dr John Asien, had 0 tolerance for piracy and violation of the copyright rules
He warned booksellers, printers and importers towards stealing of community’s highbrow trait.
The director additionally recommended participants of the crowd to not patronise pirates, pronouncing, “doing so is a criminal offence.”
“Patronising pirates is a violation of Division 44 of the Copyright Operate, 2022. Patronizing piracy is to shoot creativity and the financial system.
“Let us buy our books from publishers and authorized dealers, and not from middlemen, printers and roadside dealers,” he stated.
Babatunde recommended participants of the crowd to backup the fee with credible knowledge in a position to enabling it to take on piracy within the circumstance
Some of the suspects, Mrs Chinyere Ezediora, instructed newsmen that she simply joined the trade, and had negative wisdom of the anti-piracy regulation.
“I heard about stock piracy for the primary hour when the fee got here for arrest in our store
“I urge the commission to sensitise the public more about the issue. The Public needs to be more informed about the law,” she stated.
NAN