The Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC has reaffirmed its relentlessfight against piracy to protect the originality of intellectualproperty in the country.
The Director General of the Commission, Doctor John Asein stated thisduring an inspection tour to the popular AriarIa International Marketin Aba, Abia State in a bid to stop sales of pirated materials inbookshops and outlets in the country.Piracy has remained a bane to the growth of intellectual and art works in the country thereby denying authors and publishers the dividends oftheir career.
This explains the reason the Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC inspected Ariaria market to ascertain if the terms of the Memorandum of understandingsigned by the Ariaria market books seller Association were kept.
Fortunately, the Executives of the Association kept their part of the bargain by ensuring that pirated materials were not sold in the marketDirector General of NCC, Dr John Asein represented by the Director, Port Harcourt Directorate Office, Mr Abdul-Salami Babatunde while commendating them, also emphasised the need to protect the rights of authors and publishers .
For the Chairman , Books and Stationary Association, Ariaria market Mr. Ikechukwu Ugwonwa his appeal was that , the fight against piracy should not be left for the NCC alone Some bookshop owners in the market who were on the side of NCC, pledged their support in the task of protecting the originality of intellectual materials.
The book sellers were advised to always patronize genuine publishersand obtain invoice for every purchase as proof to present during inspections.
