The Society of Young Nigerian Writers (SYNW) has commended President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Copyright Bill into law.
Th group said the new legislation is a significant milestone in protecting the intellectual property of Nigerian creators and promoting innovation across various sectors.
According to the President of SYNW, Mr. Wole Adedoyin, “The signing of the Copyright Bill into law is a positive development for Nigeria’s creative industry. We are happy that President Buhari has demonstrated his commitment to the growth of the sector by giving assent to this important piece of legislation. We believe that this law will create an enabling environment for creativity to thrive and contribute to the country’s economic development.”
The Copyright Bill seeks to address the inadequacies of the old law and update the legal framework for copyright protection in Nigeria. The new law provides for the protection of intellectual property across various sectors, including music, film, literature, and the visual arts. It also outlines the rights and obligations of creators, users, and intermediaries in the creative industry.
The SYNW, which is one of the most prominent literary organizations in Nigeria, noted that the Copyright Bill’s enactment would go a long way in boosting creativity and empowering the nation’s creative industry because it aligns with international best practices and standards, giving Nigerian creators a level playing field to compete with their counterparts from other countries.
The organization believes that the new legislation will provide much-needed protection for Nigerian creators and incentivize them to create more works. The society also hopes that the new law will attract more investments into the creative industry, leading to job creation and economic growth.
The society also lauded the efforts of the National Assembly for passing the bill and urged other government agencies to support the implementation of the new law. The SYNW believes that the successful implementation of the Copyright Bill will require collaboration between different stakeholders, including creators, regulators, and the private sector.
The SYNW has also called on Nigerian creators to take advantage of the new law by registering their works with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC). The society believes that the registration of works will help to protect the rights of creators and provide a basis for legal action in case of copyright infringement.
The society has urged the NCC to create awareness about the new law and its provisions, especially among Nigerian creators. The society believes that many creators are not aware of their rights under the new legislation and may continue to suffer from copyright infringement.
The SYNW has also called on the NCC to ensure that the registration process for works is simple and accessible to all creators.
