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Tony Okoroji,COSON Chairman |
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Orits Williki, MCSN Chairman |
The Copyright Society of Nigeria,COSON,
has kicked against the recent decision of the federal government to
issue an approval by way of licence to the Musical Copyright Society
of Nigeria,MCSN, to operate as a collecting society, saying it's a
mirage.
Recall that Federal Government through
the Honourable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of
Justice recently directed the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), to
“issue with immediate effect, an approval by way of license to the
Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria Ltd/Gte (MCSN) to operate as a
collecting society for the purpose of the Copyright Act.
This directive apparently was as a
result of extensive investigation into the refusal of the NCC to
approve MCSN as a collecting society which resulted into several
years of struggle between the Society and the NCC. When the NCC
refused to license MCSN as a collecting society in 2010, it did not
offer or give any reason for the refusal but went ahead to approve
another rival body, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), though
which was claimed to be newly formed with the sole licence to operate
as a collecting society in the entire music industry. This did not
go down well with the MCSN, which promptly went to court to challenge
its non-approval.
But addressing the press on the
development during the week, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji
insisted that MCSN has not been approved.
He said, “We are aware that our
continued silence in the face of the deceptive propaganda and rabid
misinformation currently promoted by Ayilaran and a few of his
friends may be seen as meaning that the purported approval of MCSN is
a done deal. It is not, it cannot be and it will not be.”
Continuing, Okoroji added, “For the
avoidance of doubt, I wish to repeat that MCSN has not been
approved. Every student of the collective management of copyright in
Nigeria knows that the approval of a collective management
organization in Nigeria is not a letter.”
According to him, there are laid down
processes for the approval of a collective management organization in
Nigeria. “COSON knows what the processes are because COSON was
subjected to the processes before it became approved. The two other
approved collective management organization in Nigeria, Reprographic
Rights Organization of Nigeria,REPRONIG, and Audio Visual Rights
Society,AVRS, were subjected to the same processes before they were
approved,” Okoroji said, while describing the approval of MCSN as a
nullity.
Speaking further, the former president
of PMAN raised a number of questions which he answered. Did MCSN send
an application to the NCC in the prescribed form as required under
the Regulations, he asked? The answer is a blatant NO. Did MCSN pay
the prescribed fee to the federal government as required under the
Regulations? The answer again is a blatant NO. Has MCSN shown anyone
the proof of payment of the prescribed fee?
The answer of course is another blatant
NO. Did MCSN submit the many documents required to be submitted to
the NCC under the regulations which documents are required to be
evaluated before the grant of any approval. The answer once again is
an unqualified NO. Who carried out the evaluation of the MCSN
Application and when?
Okoroji said , the approval of COSON in
2010 was a bold decision that has unleashed significant energy in the
Nigeria music industry,adding “the clandestine attempt to foist a
new collecting society on the nation is the worst thing that can
happen to the Nigerian music industry at this time. It is reverse all
ongoing processes and bring hardship to the thousands of people who
benefit from the collective management system.”.
“For the first time in the history of
Nigerian music copyright, he continued, “Royalties are being
transparently collected and distributed to copyright owners across
the country and across the world giving Nigerian music a big boost.
Across Africa today, COSON is regarded as one of the continent's
most professional collecting societies.”
Okoroji, however, alleged that the
purported approval of MCSN Ltd, is indeed a product of conspiracy,
assuring that the current noise about approval of MCSN will soon also
evaporate into thin air like others before it. “A few years ago, it
was mysteriously announced that the National Assembly had ordered
that MCSN be approved. The noise also evaporated into thin air,”
COSON boss added.
Okoroji also, used the opportunity to
announce the commissioning of the ultra-modern ‘COSON House’
slated for May 20, in Lagos.