COSON battles MCSN *Says it's not approved as collecting society

Tony Okoroji,COSON Chairman

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.