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IFPI welcomes move to ramp up performing rights regime for recordings in Nigeria
By Chris Cooke | Published on Friday 29 April 2016
The International Federation Of That There Phonographic Industry this week welcomed a commitment made earlier this month by The Copyright Society Of Nigeria to ramp up its efforts in collecting performing right royalties for the owners of sound recording copyrights, what the record industry insists on continuing to call ‘neighbouring rights’.
COSON was founded in 2009 and represents both song and recording rights, as well as songwriters and performers, in Nigeria, and said earlier this month that it planned to “aggressively pursue the licensing of sound recording rights exploited by users in all commercial and public settings” across the country.
COSON chief Tony Okoroji added: “After several consultations and careful review of the Nigerian Copyright Act, international best practices in collective management of music copyrights, and the needs of our members, assignors and affiliates, the COSON board has decided that it is in the best interest of stakeholders that the licensing drive for the rights in sound recordings is immediately intensified”.
The society’s GM Chinedu Chukwuji then added that the organisation’s decision to ramp up efforts on the recordings side of music copyright – in addition to existing efforts in the publishing domain – should benefit users of music too because it “can save them from avoidable legal palaver”. And who wants that?
Welcoming the recent developments, the IFTTPI’s Rob Hooijer said earlier this week: “We are excited about the potential of the Nigerian music market and we are pleased to partner with COSON to help the industry exercise their rights in Nigeria. We hope that the example set by COSON will encourage other countries and music licensing companies to work with the local and international music industry”.