Copy Right: Nollywood Actor Petitions Multichoice, Threatens Legal Action

By Julie Sylvia, Onitsha

For allegedly pirating its product, a Nollywood actor, Iko Francis Odege, with stage name, Greenpeace, Thursday, in Onitsha, Anambra State, hinted that he has petitioned Multichoice Nigeria, to caution one of its housemates, Aniekwe Chidi Francis, (a.k.a Chizzy), who pirated the said product.

In the petition, written through his lawyer, Barr. T.E Ekekwe, who is also the counsel to Puz records and Entertainment, Greenpeace recorded a track titled, “One day, man go blow”, produced by Goddykeyz, of Motherland Entertainment, Abuja, in 2016.

According to the petition, recorded various personal video clips have been received to this effect, which was embarrassment to the original producer.

The petitioner, consequently, warned that, he has drawn the attention of Multichoice Nigeria, to the act, which currently is being perpetrated in her reality TV show, condemning it in totality, and urged Multichoice to consider the act with all seriousness, reiterating that it is an infringement and a clear violation of his copyright to the said track.

”This act makes you complacent to infringement as the housemates’ copyright violation is being aired by your network, thereby passing him off to millions of viewers, as the owner of the track, by airing”, the petitioner stated.

”We urge you to consider this notification with urgency, and consider this notification with all seriousness, to avoid further infringement and violation”he said.

Reacting, the National Chairman, Board of Trustees, BOT, Association of Music , Film Producers and Marketers of Nigeria, Prince Ubaoha Uzoma, condemned the act by the artist, adding that Greenpeace can sue to defend his intellectual right.

He called on Multichoice and Big Brother Naija, to look into the matter with a view to solving it, before it gets out of hand.

Commending Nigeria Copyright Commission, NCC, Anambra State boss, Mr. Ogbonna Aniekwe, for his good work, he described as an offence, for one to pirate somebody’s work without the consent of the owner before going to the public domain.

Ubaoha quoted Ogbonna as saying that copyright is more dangerous than armed robbery and as such should be treated with all seriousness.