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| WIZKID |
The Copyrights Society of Nigeria(COSON) war with Broadcasting Organaisation of Nigeria(BON) and The Independent Broadcasting Society Of Nigeria(IBAN) Has come to an ugly end.COSON has been unable to get the two bodies to pay what they felt was the right Royalties to various Nigerian Musicians for their intellectual property.
IBAN and BON announced on Wednesday that all Artistes represented by COSON will now be banned from the airwaves.This will include Tv and Radio.As COSON represents 80% of Musicians in Nigeria and most of them household names,this is a great loss to bear to the millions of listeners and viewers who will be affected.
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| BANKY W |
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| TONY OKOROJI |
Artists such as 2face Idibia, D'banj, Onyeka Onwenu, Iyanya, Banky W, Flavour, Ice Prince, Dr Sid, Olamide, 9ice, M.I, eLDee, Ruggedman, Wizkid, Asa, Waje, Omawumi ,Ebenezer Obey are part of those affected.
In a statement released and signed jointly by the President and Secretary of IBAN, Sonny Adun and Guy Murray Bruce, the need for such a drastic step was due to "the antagonism and harassment under the leadership of Tony Okoroji (COSON Chairman)”. Continue...
The statement in part reads "No person or organisation, particularly a collection society such as COSON has a monopoly of authority over any other…IBAN and BON have the utmost respect for Nigerian artistes in their individual and collective capacities and have indeed contributed more than any known institution to the promotion of Nigerian music and the development of the entertainment industry as a whole."
Meanwhile the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria interim president has released a statement on the ban on airplay of Nigerian artists by BON. The statement below...
PMAN Speaks on the current ban of airplay of Nigerian artists by BON & IBAN
The Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria is appalled by the recent development spearheaded by the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (IBAN) via an official press release yesterday, calling for the immediate airplay ban on all media platforms on content from Nigerian artistes, the association which was created with the sole mission to PROTECT, PRESERVE, and PROMOTE Nigerian musicianshas decided to react on the ban and on-going feud between the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria(BON), Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (IBAN) and Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) calling for an immediate reversal of the ban in the interest of these artistes whom we know that all the above mentioned organisations have their best interests at heart.
The ban on airplay of these Nigerian artistes and their music on various Nigerian media platforms is from our standpointvery unfair, demeaning and discouraging. Weall knowwithout a doubt that these same artistes who have persevered and assisted us to build, today what is known as the Nigerian music industry, Africa’s biggest entertainment export to the world are the same people that are now being victimised. With this action, the association foresees a situation where this ban will, rather than encourage well meaning members of the society, with musical talent to hone their craft and join the success story of the entertainment industry, reverse will be the case. We also foresee a situation where the bulk of the material that will be circulated on nigerian airwaves will be foreign materials, celebrating alien artistes instead of embracing, home grown talent and ourcultural heritage.
COSONin it’s own right by a mandate given to the organisation acts as a collecting society for these artistes, helping to monitor and collect royalties entitled to them. As a collecting society, they have since inception acted as a shield to these artistes protecting their intellectual rights. BON& IBAN are arguing that the tariffs and standards presented to them by COSON should be defended and agreeable with them, but we know that the ban is not the best invitation to the negotiating table.
Article 3.13.2.2 of the Broadcast code issued by NBC says: ‘For the purpose of free-to-air broadcast, Nigerian music shall constitute 80 per cent of all music broadcast’. If this ban is sustained, and 80% of the music played on the various media platforms are foreign material, we should ask ourselves as guardians of the music industry, if these media houses are paying the royalties owed to these foreign artistes, and thereby sidelining Nigerian music by Nigerian artistes, are we supporting them or failing them?We should also ask ourselves, ifthis ban which will invariably affect the rising profile of the Nigerian music industry in the world, economically and in relevance is good for us.
With these ongoing conflicts, lets not forget the owners of this intellectual properties, the music owners, record label owners, recording artistes, the instrumentalists, composers, who have spent time and money producing and packaging, what we know, enjoy and call music, their interests should be siginifcant in these agreements.
REACTIONS
COSON Chairman Chief Tony Okoroji said he felt like weeping, adding that it is only in Nigeria that this can take place, stating that the only sin COSON has committed was going to court to compel broadcasting stations to pay royalties for use of music. He noted with regret that there is a common attitudinal disregard for intellectual property right in the country.
Members of the music and film industries showed great concern over the issue at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, on Tuesday, at an entertainment forum. Many were shocked at how realistic it would be to outlaw such long list of popular musicians from the airwaves.
Notable filmmaker and marketer Chief Gabriel Okoye aka Gabosky described the situation as a slap on creativity, adding that the war is not only COSON’s but for all, and promised to mobilise with COSON to confront BON on the issue.
BON’s Director-General Mr. Emeka Mba, however, called for anamicable settlement.
Mba told The Nation: “Both sides need to come to a negotiated and final settlement. The NBC has already informed both parties that it will intervene by inviting them to a meeting with the Nigerian Copyright Commission.”
Industry commentators have wondered how the stations would meet their local content obligations with the long list of Nigerian artistes affected by the ban.
They said such a situation was of serious concern to the NBC. Article 3.13.2.2 of the Broadcast code issued by NBC says: ‘For the purpose of free-to-air broadcast, Nigerian music shall constitute 80 per cent of all music broadcast’.
Okoroji described the development as the first in human history when the top artistes of any nation are said to be banned from the airwaves. He insisted that if the sad action was to blackmail COSON for taking some broadcast stations, who believe that they are above the law to court for copyright infringement, he was willing to lay down his life in the defence of the rights of creative people.