Following complaints from Artists and performers that the intellectual properties of performers are being mass-produced, and sold to the public in commercial scale for the purpose of making profit without permission from owners, Personnel of NSCDC have arrested 5 suspects for theft of intellectual properties, piracy and infringement on copyrights.
The suspects were arrested in two operation stings on Friday, 13th September, 2024 at Ibom Plaza in Uyo and Trailer Park in Ntak Inyang along Calabar-Itu Highway
The suspects are: Daniel Onu – ‘M’ 38 years, Ifeachi Akudinob ‘M’ 40 years, Usman Abubakar ‘M’ 20 years, Musa Ismail ‘M’ 31years and Ahmadu Yuguda ‘M’ 29 years old.
The following exhibits were seized from the suspects during the raid on their business places: 2 laptops, 9 Compact Disc loader, which were used to mass-produce Nigeria movies and songs illegally and about 120 Compact Disks of various movies that were downloaded and illegally mass-produced.
The operation was conducted in collaboration with the task force of the Nigeria Guild of Editors, who have had to suffer severe losses from the menace of piracy and theft of intellectual properties.
The illegal act is duly proscribed by the *Nigeria Copyrights Law 2022* and attracts stiff penalties.
While parading the suspects and exhibits before newsmen at the Command headquarters in Uyo on Saturday, 14th September 2024, *Comdt Eluwade Eluyemi* stated that it is a serious offence to reproduce the intellectual properties of of artists like: music, videos, comedy skits etc.
*”I want to warn perpetrators of this act to desist as the Command will not condone this illegality. Artists cannot continue to invest in their craft while others reap their benefits. We will work with the Copyrights Commission and the Taskforce of the Nigeria Guild of Actors to ensure that this act is reduced to the barest minimum”.*
At the conclusion of investigation, the suspects will be charged to court to serve as deterrent to others