The Kaduna State chapter of the Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA) has paid a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Kaduna Office, to explore areas of partnership aimed at protecting authors’ works from piracy.
The delegation, penultimate Thursday, was led by the Chairman of ANA Kaduna State, Mr. Stephen Adinoyi, who appealed to the Commission to support Nigerian authors in safeguarding their intellectual property.
He stressed the need for sustained collaboration and regular engagement to keep authors informed about their rights and obligations under copyright laws.
Mr. Adinoyi called on the Commission to continually enlighten members of ANA on mechanisms available for protecting their works, especially in the face of increasing cases of piracy and unauthorized distribution of literary materials.
In his response, the Head of Operations of the Nigerian Copyright Commission in Kaduna, Mr. Abdullahi Alfa Mohammed, explained the fundamental rights available to authors under the Copyright Act. He noted that authors possess two major categories of rights: moral rights and economic rights.
According to him, economic rights relate to the benefits an author derives from their work, including the right to publish, assign, license, reproduce, or make a work available to the public.
He emphasized that under the current law, making a work available without the author’s consent, whether in print or electronic form, constitutes an offence.
“Even sharing an electronic copy of a book without the author’s authorization is an infringement,” Mohammed said, adding that copyright offences now go beyond traditional printing and selling to include digital distribution.
He further explained that moral rights protect the author’s identity and the integrity of their work. These rights, he said, include the right of paternity, which ensures that an author’s name remains permanently attached to their work, even after death.
“No matter who publishes or produces the book, the author’s name remains on it forever,” he said, citing the late Chinua Achebe as an example.
Mohammed also noted that authors have the right to object to any distortion or alteration of their works, even when such works have been assigned or licensed, unless explicit permission is granted.
He highlighted provisions in the new Copyright Act that promote inclusion, particularly Section 26, which allows authorized entities to reproduce works in accessible formats such as braille or audiobooks for persons with visual impairments.
He encouraged ANA to work with such authorized entities to enhance access to knowledge while maintaining respect for authors’ rights.
On contractual matters, Mohammed advised authors to always formalize agreements relating to assignments or licenses in writing, stressing that many disputes arise from the absence of clear documentation.
He assured the association that the Commission would provide relevant sections of the new Copyright Act to ANA Kaduna State for further study and engagement.
The visit ended with a call for sustained collaboration between the Association of Nigerian Authors and the Nigerian Copyright Commission to strengthen copyright protection and promote literary development in the state.
