WIPD: It’s no longer business as usual — NCC warns pirates
By Barth Ndubuwah, Port Harcourt
As the world marks this year’s World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD), Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has warned pirates to desist from their illicit business, stressing that it is no longer business as usual.
The Director General (DG) of NCC, Dr John Asein gave the warning at the weekend in his 2024 speech to commemorate the World Intellectual Property (WIP) day in Port Harcourt.
Represented by the Rivers State Coordinator of NCC, Mrs Nkechi Okechukwu Ezinma, the DG emphasised that the Commission under his watch is more determined to apprehend and prosecute those whose stock in trade is to pirate Intellectual properties of right owners.
The DG said this year’s theme, “IP and the SDGs: Building Our Common Future and Creativity,” underscores the power of creativity in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). According to him, SDGs represent a global call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all in 2030.
“IP rights play a pivotal role in fostering innovation and creative technological advancements. It provides a framework to men and women to find solutions to global challenges,” he said.
Dr Asein further described Intellectual Property (IP) as lynchpin for using creative and innovative ideas to solve problems confronting humanity.
He said the 2024 IP day reminds us that IP is a powerful tool for socio-economic and environmental development.
This, he said, spurs people to leverage on IP rights to drive innovation, create jobs and build resilient communities.
The DG added that by aligning IP policies and SDGs objectives, achievements can be accelerated.
He pointed out that Nigeria is taking steps to finalize its National IP Policies to serve as a blueprint for a more efficient modern legal and administrative framework for the nation, leveraging on its innovative and creative potentials.
He assured that as one of the major agencies responsible for the wholesome development of the creative industry, NCC will continue to provide the needed institutional, legal and administrative support for the protection, regulation and enforcement of copyright as one of the pillars for a prosperous nation.
The DG called on authors, users, IP experts and other stakeholders to reflect on the vulnerability of our fragile knowledge and creative ecosystem.
“We should be concerned about its sustainable development in the face of disruptive technologies, such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), which are fast changing our understanding of authorship and how we use the works of authors, leaving us with a future new possibilities,” Dr Asein said.
