Nigerian Law on Copyright Infringement

This week, I’ve dealt with a number of infringements on my copyright.  I have observed a number of things, some surprising:

1. People do speak up when they see an infringement
2. There is unrealistic justification of the ‘theft’/ misuse’ of content by some (surprise, surprise)
3. Copyright infringement is perpetuated by many people

I’ve decided to delve into what Nigerian law says.

First up, Intellectual property is governed by The Copyright Act, Chapter 68, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 1990. This Act has been amended by:

1.     Copyright (Amendment) Decree No 98 of 1992

2.     Copyright (Amendment) Decree No 42 of 1999

It is in place to ‘… make provisions for the definition, protection, transfer, infringement of and remedy and penalty thereof of the copyright in literary works, musical works, artistic works, cinematograph films, sound recordings, broadcast, and other ancillary matters.’

You will find a link to this 4-Part Act and its accompanying schedules on the Nigeria Law website.[wpurp-searchable-recipe]Nigerian Law on Copyright Infringement – – – [/wpurp-searchable-recipe]