Senate passes bill to strengthen copyright law, prohibits online duplication, rebroadcasting without consent

Senate passes bill to strengthen copyright law, prohibits online duplication, rebroadcasting without consent

***proposes N100,000 fine or 1-yr jail term for individuals, N2m for corporate bodies

The Senate, on Wednesday, passed a bill to provide for the holistic review of Nigeria’s Copyright Law to make it an offence to broadcast any digital or online work of a performer without first obtaining their consent.

The review is aimed at strengthening the provision of policy and legal framework for the effective regulation, protection and administration of copyright in line with global best practices.

The bill was tagged: “A Bill For An Act To Repeal The Copyright Act CAP LFN 2004 And To Re-enact The Copyright Act 2021”, was sponsored by Senator Mukhail Abiru (Lagos East).

The bill when signed into law would make the broadcasting or duplication of any online audiovisual work without the consent of the performer an infringement.