COPYRIGHT ADMINISTRATION IN NIGERIA THROUGH THE PRISM OF COLLECTING SOCIETIES

Abstract

The creative industry world over is ceaselessly and strenuously contending with the unlawful predation and exploitation of the property rights embedded in the works of creators flowing from their ingenuities. Copyright, being one of the creative rights protectable under intellectual property law, is also entitled to this overarching protection. The copyright owner is entitled to exclude all others from the use of his work except where he elects to licence or assign his rights to others. To forestall the massive revenue hemorrhage flowing from the proceeds of the copyright works into the coffers of unauthorized third parties, collecting societies were conceptualized. This work therefore examined the scope/roles of collecting societies in the music, artistic and literary industries as well as the challenges thereof. A gap analysis and suggestions going forward that will lead to a better administration of the licences by the creators under this collectivity have also been made.