Copyright Society of Nigeria partners with IFPI

The partnership comes after an announcement by COSON, made shortly after its inaugural meeting of the year, that the society will work hard to secure licensing of sound recordings in public use as well as recordings used for commercial purposes.

Speaking after the meeting, Tony Okoroji Chairman of COSON said, “After several consultations and careful review of the Nigerian Copyright Act international best practices in collective management of music copyrights and the needs of our members, assignors and affiliates, the COSON Board has decided that it is in the best interest of stakeholders that the licensing drive for the rights in sound recordings is immediately intensified.

“As a very important organ in the Nigerian music industry, we must constantly review our processes and find ways we can serve the people we represent better. We will continue to ensure that the collective interests of copyright holders in the Nigerian music industry are upheld at all times.”

COSON GM Chinedu Chukwuji said: “As it is our practise, we will continue to work in the best interests of all. Users of music can be rest assured that the Board’s decision to intensify the licensing of sound recording rights is in their best interests and can save them from avoidable legal palaver.”

According to a statement by the IFPI, both bodies have been in “close cooperation”, with the partnership. “We are excited about the potential of the Nigerian music market and we are pleased to partner with COSON to help the industry exercise their rights in Nigeria,” said Rob Hooijer, IFPI regional coordinator for Sub-Saharan African. “We hope that the example set by COSON will encourage other countries and music licencing companies to work with the local and international music industry.””

In recent months, talks about revenue collection and licensing have intensified, with the topic becoming one of the major points of discussion during the 2016 Nigerian Entertainment Conference. The pop star D’Banj dedicated a part of his keynote at the conference to the topic.

As the IFPI notes, “Broadcasting and public performance rights, usually licensed collectively on behalf of the industry by dedicated music licensing companies, have become an increasingly important part of the overall music industry revenue mix.