The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed declared on Monday in Abuja that the federal government is walking its talk and taking concrete steps to stamp out piracy of intellectual property.
The minister said this when he declared open the first interface meeting of the Police and major stakeholders in the creative industry to fight piracy.
The minister stressed that piracy, if left unchecked, would become a monster that would destroy the entire creative industry.
He recalled that one of the major challenges raised at the Creative Industry Summit held recently in Lagos is the menace that is piracy.
Mohammed said in implementing some of the resolutions at the summit, he led a team of stakeholders to the Inspector-General of Police, to seek collaboration with the law enforcement agency in fighting piracy.
The minister added that the aftermath of the interaction with the Police was the interface meeting on ending piracy.
He tasked the stakeholders to ensure that whatever form of enforcement to be adopted, it must be regular and sustained.
Speaking in the same vein, Adedayo Coker, the Executive Director of the National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB), said tthe meeting is an indication that the industry’s players readiness to fight piracy.
Tony Okoroji, the chairman of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) said the society will collaborate with the Police to ensure that wherever pirate may be in the country, be fish them out and make life uncomfortable for them.
