NCC Drags Bizman to Court for Alleged Piracy

National Copyright Commission (NCC) has dragged  Emmanuel Udeze, a businessman to the Federal High Court sitting in Enugu, Enugu state over alleged piracy.

Udeze is facing a two-count charge of unauthorised exhibition of DVD plates and being in possession of such products without the consent of the owner.

Mr Paul Anagonye, counsel to the plaintiff, said his client saw the accused in his warehouse in Onitsha, Anambra, supplying pirated copies of both foreign and local DVDs to his customers.

“The worst part of it was that the accused was so proud distributing the products to wholesalers and retailers as if he was the rightful owner of the plates.

“When contacted, some musicians whose products were found in the accused persons shop denied ever knowing him not to talk of him being their distributor,” Anagonye said.

Mr Emenike Ukwuoha, counsel to the accused, said his client registered with the Nigeria Film and Video Censors Board before he started the DVD business.

Ukwuoha said the commission was not in a position to tell the court which one was pirated copies or not because it was not an artist.

He, however, said the commission had locked up the accused persons shop since April 2010 when the case was brought to the court.

Justice D.V. Agishi,  presiding Judge, adjourned the case till May 2 for further hearing.