The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) on Tuesday carried out an unscheduled raid on some top bookshops in Ekiti, seizing pirated books estimated at millions of Naira and sealing -off their premises.
The operation, led by State Coordinator of the commission, Mrs Oluropo Oke, also included a team of copyright enforcement officers, backed by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, (NSCDC)
Top among the sealed bookshops, whose owners were also arrested and taken away, are: the popular Hope and Faith Bookshop, located along Ajilosun area of Ado-Ekiti , and KAYCEE & Sons Bookshop, located at Bisi Market area of the city.
Also during the operation, the commission, carried out thorough inspection of the targeted bookshops and their stores, and confiscated all identified pirated books, which the enforcement officers, loaded in several sacks, before bundling them into waiting buses.
It was observed that none of the erring shop owners, attempted to resist the raid by the NCC officials, neither could they contest closure of their premises and subsequent arrest, apparently due to presence of the armed security men that accompanied the NCC officials on the operation.
Speaking on the raid, the coordinator, said the commission was acting on tip off, after sufficient investigation had confirmed that the erring bookshops actually got involved in selling pirated materials.
According to her, the operation, formed part of the Commission’s ongoing efforts to curb piracy across the nation.
She said it is also aimed at protecting intellectual property, and supporting the Nigerian creative industry
“ All over the country, we have warned them on several occasions to desist from this nefarious act but they would not listen, meaning they are daring us, or testing our will.
” This raid is therefore part of our commission’s mission to cleanse the market, and rid the entire country of pirated books.
“ If you are aware, piracy has been a major issue affecting publishers, authors in Nigeria, and also affecting economy, because original owners of pirated works are not allowed to enjoy fruits of their labour, whereas, the commission has zero-tolerance policy towards all forms of copyright infringement, ” she said.
She said such unscheduled exercise would continue in any part of the country at any time, and therefore warned booksellers and printers alike to desist henceforth, in their own interest against involving in illegal acts of piracy.
“ There is no excuse or ignorance in law. Piracy remains a punishable offence, and anyone found culpable will definitely face the consequences ,” she said.
