EXAMINATION OF COPYRIGHT PROTECTION AND ENFORCEMENT IN THE NIGERIAN FILM INDUSTRY

Abstract

The Nigerian Film Industry (Nollywood) has developed into one of the largest film industries in the world considering its output and cultural influence. 1 Way beyond the cultural relevance of Nollywood, it has also become a pivotal component of Nigeria’s creative economy, having contributed significantly to employment creation, foreign currency inflows and national development. 2 Despite this growth and the possibility of something even greater, Nollywood continues to wrestle with prevalent copyright breaches and infringements, specifically in the form of piracy,3 unauthorised reproduction and digital dissemination of cinematograph films. This article revolves around a comprehensive examination of copyright protection and its enforcement in the Nigerian film industry, within the framework of copyright law in Nigeria. This article thoroughly analyses the copyright act of 2022,4 the crucial role of enforcement institutions such as the Nigerian copyright commission, and the contribution of the judiciary as the custodians of the law to ensure copyright protection. This article holds the position that albeit Nigeria has a robust statutory and institutional framework, enforcement remains an uphill task and this is due to structural, technological and socio-economic challenges and it concludes by proposing