Broadcasting
Copyright Battle: NCC Audits 10 Viewing Centres in Surulere
In its battle to curb the rising level of commercial piracy of Pay TV channels, the Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC), embarked on an audit of the copyright compliance level of 10 commercial viewing centers in Surulere, Lagos State.
The audit was necessitated by in a complaint from MultiChoice, Nigeria’s leading provider of premium pay entertainment.
Speaking on the compliance inspection exercise which took place over the weekend, Mrs. Lynda Alphaeus, assistant director, Prosecutions (NCC), representing the DG NCC, said that the aim of the inspection exercise was to sensitize business outfits (hotels, pubs, restaurants etc) utilising Pay TV services on the need to comply with the copyright laws regulating their operations and regularise their TV licence.
Mrs Alphaeus expressed dissatisfaction that 90 per cent of commercial viewing centers in Surulere are yet to comply with the authorized DStv commercial bouquet for viewing centres.
She categorically stated that the NCC will not relent in its effort to ensure a greater percentage of viewing center owners convert to commercial bouquets accepted for commercial viewing.
According to the Assistant Director, Prosecutions, copyright laws outlines the following as acts of piracy; Cable Piracy, Re-broadcasting Piracy, Commercial Piracy, and Circumvention Piracy.
She explained on why the NCC inspectors embarked on visit of viewing centres. “The visual inspection was to check on the level of compliance of the DStv commercial licence at viewing centres in Lawanson, Surulere environs” She remarked.
It would be recalled that in the course of the year, the NCC raided locations in Abuja FCT and Benin for illegal distribution of DStv signal and it also raided 14 hotels in Lagos for commercial piracy and the hotel owners have responded positively by complying with the commercial bouquet option.