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NCC, Police to intensify war against piracy

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By Phil Okose Onitsha
Irked by the spate of piracy  especially in the printing industry, the
Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, and the police, have vowed to fight
the demon to zero tolerance.

Making the vow when the Anambra State branch of the Society of
Printing Practitioners of Nigeria, SPPN, led by its state Chairman,
Mr. Ethel Obidinso, paid him a courtesy visit in his Onitsha office,
the NCC state Director/Coordinator, Mr. Emeka Ogbonnaya, reiterated
the resolve of the Federal Government to protect printed materials
from pirates.
He said that, “the law permits NCC to determine how one’s work is to
be used and protected” adding that, “nobody has the right to interfere
in one’s book unless the person has the consent or authority of the
owner, if not it is piracy”.
He reminded them that, “if your business is legitimate, we will work
with you but when we have problem is where an organization believes in
doing some things wrong”
He stressed the need for sensitization of printers to avoid being
punished out of ignorance.
“Some people ask why government is interested in protecting people’s
interest, this answer is simple, it is for the society benefit. We are
what we are today because we are using other people’s materials to
build our knowlwdge and whatever you do you have to reap from it. This
will give you the zeal to continue.
If government does not interfere by way of protecting people’s
interest/work, we would not have the opportunity to use some of these
written works. It is for people to have hope in what they are doing”
“In literary, if somebody expands money and energy to put something in
order, at the end of the day the society will reap, there is need to
protect it for the zeal to continue”
He commended the printers association for the role they play to the
society stating that, “in line of distribution of books, without the
printers, you can have the talents but their view has to be expressed
to be seen by the printers. Printers are the chain in expression of
these ideas”
In his response, the state SPPN chairman, Mr Obidinso, traced the
history of SPPN adding that it was registered as part of Institute of
Printing of Nigeria, IOPN. “IOPN used to operate when it came into
amalgamation which was formed in 2007 and their responsibility included,
regulating, building and controlling who is to operate, and who is not
to operate and areas of operation and publication”
He told the NCC Director that part of their visit was to help fight
piracy and regulate the printing work.
“We are here so that in one way or the other work hand in hand so that
everybody will be acquainted with informations, because a lot of
people don’t know about NCC”
The Secretary of the SPPN, Casmir Emeka Igboanyika, in his speech said that the importance of the copyright organisation to the body would not be over emphasized stating that, “this Union and visit will pave way for many openings that will bring sanity into the profession of printing. Before you write a book, before a book will be approved, before you know it, the book is already everywhere, you will not reap anything” he revealed.
The Onitsha unit chairman of SPPN, Okey Akaneme, had in his speech
earlier stated that the visit was aimed at knowing where the NCC
office is located and, “ensuring sanity in people practising printing
and our suppliers who go about supplying fake materials” warning that
anybody breaching the law would be made to face the wrath of the law.
Welcoming them in his office, the Onitsha Police Area Commander, Mr
John Obuagbaka, said, “we need to work together, it is my duty to
provide security to protect you and we in other hand need your
services, it is also my responsibility to respond, which ever way you have challenges either in the business, family, you should let us know so that we extend our helping hands”, he said.
He also urged them to be conscious of what the law said and thanked
them for robbing minds together.
For a better society

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