Obtain licence before using our members works or face litigation – COSON
Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) Nigeria’s biggest Copyright Collective Management Organization has asked all organizations deploying the musical works and sound recordings of COSON members and affiliates to immediately obtain a COSON licence or face huge litigation.
At the massively attended World Press Conference held on Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at which COSON demanded the immediate resignation of Mr. John Asein, the DG of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) for serial corruption, COSON said that the purported suspension of the COSON operating licence is a ruse not founded on Nigerian law or the Nigerian constitution and requested all those deploying works in the COSON repertoire to ensure that they take immediate steps to obtain a COSON licence or face huge litigation.
At the conference attended by its lawyers, COSON also asked the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to make appropriate restitution to COSON for harassing, intimidating, maltreating and bullying COSON and several of its officers with powers not founded on the laws and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and denying the Nigerian music industry billions of naira in revenue due to the industry.
COSON said that it was amazed to discover that some senior officers in the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) a federal government agency, were neck deep in the almost 3 years old conspiracy to hijack COSON and turn it into a private ATM and a private piggy bank for them and their friends with a plan that if their conspiracy fails, they must destroy the organization which has become the flagship of the Nigerian copyright system across the world.
Speaking at the Press Conference, Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman of COSON said, “Gentlemen of the Press, despite all the hounding and intimidation, you are witness to the fact that COSON House continues to stand tall and remains sparkling clean. 7 days ago, the Board of COSON met at COSON House. Not one member of the Board was absent and not one member left the meeting before its adjournment about 7 hours after the meeting began. It was the Board that directed that this press conference be held. The Board also approved the acquisition of new state of the art software that will make royalty distribution in COSON unquestionable and fully transparent.
“Gentlemen of the Press, the COSON Management stands strong. Our membership on Dec 7, 2017 when the coup took place was 3631. The membership as of today is 4700, an increase of 29.44%. We wish to inform all those who are deploying works in the COSON repertoire that the purported suspension of the COSON operating licence is a ruse not founded on Nigerian law or the Nigerian constitution. We therefore request all those deploying works in the COSON repertoire to ensure that they obtain a COSON licence without delay or face powerful litigation.
“Both the NCC and those who have conspired with them to hound us and drive us out of existence have not read the game well. They have underestimated the vision, mission, passion, dedication and determination of the members and leaders of COSON. We are 100% committed to ensuring that COSON will not be one of the failed organizations in the creative industry.
“We have become freedom fighters for the Nigerian creative industry. We are fighters against the use of state power to muscle and overwhelm innocent citizens. We will not slumber, and we will not tire. We refuse to be made slaves in our nation. We will fight the tyranny that has been unleashed on us until we gain total victory for the artistes of Nigeria.”
Speaking on the sidelines of the Press Conference, renowned COSON lawyer, Mr. James Ononiwu of WhitedDove Solicitors said, “We forcefully challenge the NCC to show Nigerians under which law it obtained the power to unilaterally intervene in the choice of the Chairman of a CMO, the power to, on its own, suspend, revoke or restrict the approval given to a collecting society or embark on an audit of a collecting society or order the freezing of the bank accounts of a CMO without ever going to court and seeking the order of a court. It is absolutely crazy that the NCC is said to be acting under internal regulations made by it, not founded under any Nigerian law.
How can the NCC in a democracy be the law maker, the accuser, the judge and the jury in its own case? I agree that the NCC has become a monster and needs to be tamed.
This terrible scam to decimate one of the few Nigerian organizations bringing pride to our country across the world must be condemned by all serious Nigerian citizens. This idea of every small man who gets a government appointment using the opportunity to visit mayhem on innocent Nigerians must stop. Enough is enough. We will make the NCC an example”.
