NCC Arrests 10 in Oyo, Confiscate Pirated Works

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Ibadan Zonal Office yesteday in Ibadan arrested 10 suspected pirates and confiscated several bags of pirated works.

Seven of the suspects were arrested for illegally downloading copyrighted works, while the remaining three were arrested for selling pirated books.

Mrs. Bisi Ogundiran, zonal manager, said that the suspects had benefited illegally from the creative works of others, which were protected by law.

She said that piracy was a menace to the nation’s economic, saying many were feeding fat from the illegal reproduction of other’s intellectual properties.

Ogundiran said that the commission had visited them severally to sensitise them on the implication of exploiting people of their intellectual or creative properties.

“They reproduce other people’s creative work and sell at cheap prices, depriving the owners of the benefit from their creativity. This heinous act has led to the extinction of some artiste in Nigeria. If California in America could generate huge revenue from the film industry, imagine what the nation would have generated without piracy,” She said.

She said that the essence of the enforcement and arrest was to get culprit prosecuted, so that such would serve as deterrent to others.

Ogundiran warned Nigerians to be wary of goods they purchase and those they buy from, urging them to join them in stamping out piracy from the country.

She called on the people to always ensure that their creative or intellectual properties were registered for protection under copyright laws.

The materials were confiscated at Awero Bookshop (Nig) Enterprises, More Blessing Books and Stationery Stores, Omotayo Bookshop and Stationeries Supply and Idera Oluwa Bookshops all at Mapo, Ibadan.

Also on the list are Maxwell Communications at Agodi-Gate and Advance Technology, Dugbe.