From every nook and cranny of the country, hundreds of gaily dressed members of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole approved Collective Management Organization for musical works and sound recordings, on Tuesday, May 17, 2016, stormed the Oramiyan Hall of Lagos Airport Hotel for the 6th Annual General Meeting of the society.
Among the many top music industry stakeholders present were Afrojuju maestro, Sir Shina Peters, ace music producer, Laolu Akins the rainmaker and Nigeria reggae legend, Majek Fashek, Music Label top guns, Obi Asika and Audu Maikori, Eko ogba gbere crooner, Pa Chris Ajilo and reknowned guitarist, Feladey and amiable singer, Stella Delight among several others. The Director-General of the Nigerian
Copyright Commission (NCC) was also represented by Mr. Obi Ezeilo, Zonal Manager, Lagos.
Reading his address which received intermittent applause, COSON Chairman Chief Tony Okoroji pledged his society’s support of the Federal Government in the effort to get the entertainment industry to contribute to reviving the nation’s ailing economy. He however challenged the government to ensure that its actions match its words.
According to Okoroji, “For us to play our role effectively, the government cannot pretend to understand our problems because it does not. The government must engage us closely, listen to our issues and then take action instead of just talking. In other words, the actions of the government must match its words.
“For instance, the government cannot say that it wants the entertainment industry to grow the economy and yet looks the other way while government agencies engage in horrendous copyright infringement.
“Since the present government took over, we have repeatedly called for the activation of the private copy levy scheme provided for under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. We have received no reaction whatsoever from a government that says that it is interested in growing the entertainment industry”.
Concluding, Okoroji said, “Around the continent, pirated Nigerian music dominates the airwaves and music shops. We believe that a government which wants to grow our entertainment industry must take interest and engage meaningfully with these nations at the diplomatic and international trade levels and ensure that these national assets are not frittered away.”
Okoroji also announced the development of a very sophisticated computer system that can fully capture the documentation, distribution and financial transactions at COSON.
According to him, “Our new system called the COSONET will enable each member of the society access the records of his works with the society from the comfort of his bedroom and permit him or her to update his works when necessary from wherever he or she might be. The COSONET will also enable each member to monitor royalties accruing to him or her and generate a report of the royalties and their sources. It should also make it possible for instant royalty distribution, whether general or specific, removing the frustrating wait that some of us go through to receive our royalties”. He said that with the COSONET which is presently being test run, in operation, COSON would have achieved 100% transparency and accountability.
Reporting on the massive cases filed recently by COSON against the Federal government owned FRCN and telecommunications giant, MTN Okoroji promised that more such high profile cases will be filed soon.
According to the Chairman, COSON does not go to court frivolously. In his words, “In each case that we have taken a user to court, we must have satisfied ourselves, that all none-adversarial methods of resolving the problem had been exhausted. The cases send a loud and clear message to everyone that the era of free music in Nigeria is gone”.
Okoroji also Identified the factors which have resulted in the rapid growth of COSON and its ability to collect and distribute several hundreds of millions of Naira in only six years of operation as consistency, transparency and stability.
At the elections that took place during the AGM, four members of the Board: Joel Ajayi, Obi Asika, Efe Omorogbe and Sikiru Agboola were returned to the Board.
