Copyright regulations under the Nigerian Copyright Act: a critical analysis

Copyright as one of the branches intellectual property is protected under the Nigerian Copyright Act 1988 as amended (the Act) and it is so protected upon the fulfillment of certain requirements. The Act protects literary works, artistic works, musical works, cinematograph films, sound recordings and broadcasts and makes it a punishable offence for any person who uses these works without the prior permission of the right holders. The law protects copyright because the copyright-based industries are known or regarded as one of the contributors to the gross domestic products (GDP) of any country. Apart from encouraging creativity, a suitable copyright regime also engenders employment as well as income generation. The reverse is that where there is no effective copyright enforcement, authors will lose income and thereby will not be encouraged to further create; there would no employment in the copyright-based industries (CBIs) and associated industries; and importantly, the government will lose income.