THE NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT ACT 2022: EXPANDING THE SCOPE OF ACCESS TO LITERARY WORKS

Abstract

Intellectual property rights have evolved in recent times, embracing new areas and adapting to changes to accommodate the interest of both the right owner and the right of the public to access intellectual property rights. The right of the blind, the visually impaired and otherwise print disabled persons are public rights that were not taken into perspective in the old copyright act. Internationally, this right has been the subject of discussions which resulted in the adoption of the Marrakesh Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works for Persons Who Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise Print Disabled 2013(Marrakesh Treaty). The Nigerian government set up a committee in 2015 to draft a new copyright bill. Subsequently a new copyright Act 2022 was enacted which repealed the old Act. The aim of this article is to analyse the new Copyright Act 2022 with respect to the specific provisions relating to access of literary works for the blind, visually impaired or otherwise print disabled and to note whether this aligns with the provisions of the Marrakesh Treaty.In making this consideration, the researcher employed the doctrinal research method and concludes inter alia that there are indeed notable amendments which were incorporated in The Copyright Act, 2022.