Senate Passes Copyright Bill To Promote Creative Industry
TECHDIGEST – The Senate has passed the copyright bill to help drive development of the creative industry.
The bill for an Act to repeal the Copyright Act, Cap C28 LFN, 2004 and enact the Copyright Act to provide for the regulation, protection and administration of copyright and related matters, as amended, was passed by the Senate this week.
According to the Senate President, Dr. Ahmed Ibrahim Lawal, the 107 clauses of the bill and its schedule underscore the potential benefits of leveraging progressive laws to drive the vast potential of Nigeria’s creative industry.
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The Copyright Bill was the outcome of the harmonisation carried out by the Senate Joint Committee on Trade and Investment; Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters.
The Joint Committee had considered the Private Member Bill (SB 688) sponsored by Senator Mukhail A. Abiru (Lagos East Senatorial District) and the Executive Bill (SB 769) sponsored by the Senate Leader, Senator Yahaya Abubakar Abdullahi (Kebbi North Senatorial District), both of which were presented in 2021 to repeal the Copyright Act Cap C28, LFN, 2004 and to enact the Copyright Act, and for matters connected therewith.
According to its promoters, “the overriding intents and purports of the bill are to ensure that the Nigerian Copyright Commission, which is the statutory agency of government saddled with the responsibilities for the promotion of the use of the copyright system, as a tool for advancing the growth of the creative industry in Nigeria, is properly repositioned and strengthened in order to harness the potentials of creativity for national development, particularly in today’s digital environment.”
