Lawyer advises artistes on copyright
Copyright
By Collins Yakubu-Hammer
Abuja, July 5, 2018 (NAN) Mr Andi Daze, an entertainment lawyer has advised artistes to ensure that they copyright their works and materials to checkmate piracy and infringement.
Daze gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the first edition of Abuja Literary and Arts Festival on Friday in Abuja.
The event was organised by the Abuja Literary Society with support from British Council in Nigeria.
The theme for the festival is “Nigeria to the World’’.
He said the only way for artists, writers and others in the creative industry to safe guard their works was to have them copyrighted.
Daze said literary works or property without copyright were vulnerable to infringement thus efforts of the owner becomes wasteful and not beneficial to him or her.
“In literary arts, there is property which is created, owned and sold; you make money from such property which are inform of intellectual property created from your intellect.
“It has to be original and expressive; it can be written on a desk, save on USB flash, computer, or cassette tape, but it has to be in some kind of form and not an idea in your head.
“However, some of the protections you get for your rights start from the moment of creation; once you put it in that format, you stand as the owner
“You have a right to it and you are protected from piracy and copyright infringement,’’ Daze said.
According to him, literary works have values and people who created them need to be compensated on what they created for the society to enjoy.
“When you copyright your work and there is a dispute, you will need to prove that it is your original work; you will also give the date of creation.
“However, there are other rights like publishing rights, film, TV music, mechanical and synchronisation rights.
“For the literary industry to grow, it had to partner with other industries like formalising relationship with Nollywood so that movie scripts can be written and artists can write sound tracks for movies,’’ he said.
Daze emphasised that a writer has the right to stop his works or write up from being misrepresented or associated with things that are not in line with things he or she has written.
Also, Anwuli Ojogwu, Managing Director of Narrative Landscape Press said publishing books was skilled driven adding that editing is like medicine where rules are adhered to.
Ojogwu stressed that there was need for writers to be abreast with laws in publishing to avoid legal dispute in the industry.
She said one of the important skills needed in the publishing sector of the literary industry is confidence and competence. (NAN)
CMY/EAL
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Edited by Ekemini Ladejobi