The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, and the Independent
Broadcasting Association of Nigeria, IBAN, have stopped airing musical
productions belonging to the following musicians; Chief Ebenezer
Obey, 2Face Idibia, Onyeka Onwenu, Banky W and thousands of other
members of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON.
In a statement jointly signed by Sonny Adun and Guy Murray Bruce,
IBAN Chairman and Secretary respectively, the two bodies said they
were constrained to take this step principally as “a result of COSON’s
attitude of antagonism and harassment under the leadership of Tony
Okoroji (COSON Chairman)”.
“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,” the statement reads.
But in a swift reaction, Okoroji, COSON boss, said his organisation has
read with amusement the empty threat by the leadership of BON
that its affiliate stations would no longer play the music of Nigerian
citizens on Nigerian stations because Nigerian musicians are asking for
their right to be paid copyright royalties for the exploitation of their
music as is done in every country in the world.
He said it is only in a country like Nigeria that this can take place with
some people having no regards for intellectual property.
“The threat by the leadership of BON reveals the crass ignorance with
which some members of BON have been misled and steered into easily
avoidable crisis. For many years, this people have used ‘divide and rule’
tactics and threats to weaken the music industry and ensure that the
industry did not effectively challenge its exploitation,” Okoroji said.
He stated that it is indeed revealing that IBAN/BON people who
pretend to be leaders of the broadcast industry in Nigeria believe that
they can play music belonging to foreign nationals for free in Nigeria
without any consequence.
“For their information, by the reciprocal representation agreements
entered into between COSON and several collective management
organisations around the world and the various copyright conventions
to which Nigeria is a signatory, every broadcast station in Nigeria is
bound to pay copyright royalties for foreign music as it must for the
music belonging to Nigerians. Failure to pay exposes Nigeria to both
economic and diplomatic sanctions,” Okoroji disclosed.
He added that COSON has done everything to engage broadcasting
stations in Nigeria to do what is done in every other country in a very
professional manner.
“COSON has met with Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON),
Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN), National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and practically every major
broadcasting network in Nigeria. While there are broadcasting stations
that have reached agreements with COSON and are broadcasting
music comfortably as required by law, some other stations have
allowed themselves to be deceived by the empty boast of people
who have told them that they can ‘handle’ COSON,” Okoroji added.
But IBAN and BON also said their members are ready and willing to pay
royalties for works used but will not be railroaded into arbitrarily
imposed and concocted fees which are not based on any agreeable and
verifiable tariff and standards.
“In the circumstance, we are therefore taking steps in liaison with
important stakeholders in the country to address and hopefully come
to a fair and reasonable resolution of this COSON induced crises,”
IBAN/BON stated.
Other artistes who have their musical productions prohibited on air
include Iyanya, Azizat, D’Banj, Olamide, Dr. SID, Sammy Okposo, Olu
Maintain, Sunny Neji, Rugged Man, Jasman Olofin, X-Project, Asa,
African China, Terry G, Waje, Omawumi, Sound Sultan and J Martins.
PMNEWS learnt Prince Emeka Mba, Director General, National
Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, has waded in.
The NBC boss is said to have called for a negotiated settlement,
wondering how the stations can do away with works of the
affected artistes who are the best in Nigeria and still meet up with
requirement of NBC.
Share
The Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, and the Independent
Broadcasting Association of Nigeria, IBAN, have stopped airing musical
productions belonging to the following musicians; Chief Ebenezer
Obey, 2Face Idibia, Onyeka Onwenu, Banky W and thousands of other
members of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON.
In a statement jointly signed by Sonny Adun and Guy Murray Bruce,
IBAN Chairman and Secretary respectively, the two bodies said they
were constrained to take this step principally as “a result of COSON’s
attitude of antagonism and harassment under the leadership of Tony
Okoroji (COSON Chairman)”.
“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,” the statement reads.
But in a swift reaction, Okoroji, COSON boss, said his organisation has
read with amusement the empty threat by the leadership of BON
that its affiliate stations would no longer play the music of Nigerian
citizens on Nigerian stations because Nigerian musicians are asking for
their right to be paid copyright royalties for the exploitation of their
music as is done in every country in the world.
He said it is only in a country like Nigeria that this can take place with
some people having no regards for intellectual property.
“The threat by the leadership of BON reveals the crass ignorance with
which some members of BON have been misled and steered into easily
avoidable crisis. For many years, this people have used ‘divide and rule’
tactics and threats to weaken the music industry and ensure that the
industry did not effectively challenge its exploitation,” Okoroji said.
He stated that it is indeed revealing that IBAN/BON people who
pretend to be leaders of the broadcast industry in Nigeria believe that
they can play music belonging to foreign nationals for free in Nigeria
without any consequence.
“For their information, by the reciprocal representation agreements
entered into between COSON and several collective management
organisations around the world and the various copyright conventions
to which Nigeria is a signatory, every broadcast station in Nigeria is
bound to pay copyright royalties for foreign music as it must for the
music belonging to Nigerians. Failure to pay exposes Nigeria to both
economic and diplomatic sanctions,” Okoroji disclosed.
He added that COSON has done everything to engage broadcasting
stations in Nigeria to do what is done in every other country in a very
professional manner.
“COSON has met with Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON),
Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN), National
Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and practically every major
broadcasting network in Nigeria. While there are broadcasting stations
that have reached agreements with COSON and are broadcasting
music comfortably as required by law, some other stations have
allowed themselves to be deceived by the empty boast of people
who have told them that they can ‘handle’ COSON,” Okoroji added.
But IBAN and BON also said their members are ready and willing to pay
royalties for works used but will not be railroaded into arbitrarily
imposed and concocted fees which are not based on any agreeable and
verifiable tariff and standards.
“In the circumstance, we are therefore taking steps in liaison with
important stakeholders in the country to address and hopefully come
to a fair and reasonable resolution of this COSON induced crises,”
IBAN/BON stated.
Other artistes who have their musical productions prohibited on air
include Iyanya, Azizat, D’Banj, Olamide, Dr. SID, Sammy Okposo, Olu
Maintain, Sunny Neji, Rugged Man, Jasman Olofin, X-Project, Asa,
African China, Terry G, Waje, Omawumi, Sound Sultan and J Martins.
PMNEWS learnt Prince Emeka Mba, Director General, National
Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, has waded in.
The NBC boss is said to have called for a negotiated settlement,
wondering how the stations can do away with works of the
affected artistes who are the best in Nigeria and still meet up with
requirement of NBC.
Share
Post a Comment