By Priscilla Osaje

Dr John Asein, the Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), says copyright law plays a crucial role in protecting the creative works of authors, artists, and innovators in this current digital era.

Asein said this on Wednesday when the commission sensitised the students of Lead British International School, Abuja, to the infringement of copyright law and its consequences, in Abuja.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the copyright awareness and sensitisation programme organised by the NCC focused on educating the students on basics of copyright law, its importance as well as its impacts on individual daily lives.

Asein, in his remarks, said that the NCC’s mandate was to promote copyright awareness and education in Nigeria.

According to him, copyright law plays a crucial role in protecting the creative works of authors, artists, and innovators in today’s digital age.

“Students are not only consumers of copyright materials, but also potential creators and innovators.

“It is therefore necessary that you understand your rights and responsibilities under the copyright law.

“This programme is aimed to educate you on the basics of copyright law, its importance, and how it impacts your daily lives,” he said.

The director-general commended the management of Lead British International School for allowing its students to be sensitised.

“We believe that education and awareness are key to promoting a culture of respect for intellectual property rights

“Let us work together to promote a culture of creativity, innovation, and respect for intellectual property rights,” he emphasised.

Also speaking, Mrs Funmilayo Adewale, Director, Nigerian Copyright Academic (NCA), said the  programme aimed at  sensitising  and creating  awareness  for youth about copyright laws.

Adewale said students need to know their rights as well as their responsibilities in this digital age, because things are done differently now.

According to her, in this current digital era, the youths particularly students need to know that they cannot go online and use people’s work anyhow; they have to be responsible in the way they use people’s work.

“They need to know some essential basic things as young creators as regards to their rights and expectations.

“You heard them (students), saying that they are taking certain things for granted, things that are against the law. But coming to this place, we are able to sensitise them during this programme,” she said.

The director therefore urged the students to respect people’s creative works as well as authors’ rights.

“You should be careful, responsible and acknowledge people’s work when used. Using people’s works for research purposes is not a bad idea, but those people need to be acknowledged because they are the owners of the work,” she said.

Mr Abraham Ogunkanmbi, Head of School, Lead British International School, commended NCC for organising the programme that exposed the young creative minds to copyright laws.

Ogunkanmbi, who was represented by Mrs Eugenia Essell, Deputy Head of School,  Early Year and Primary, said that the sensitisation programme helped the students to know how to protect their intellectual properties.

“Even we, the adults, have learnt that there is a time limit to intellectual property rights.

“It has come to our knowledge that using works by other people without their approval attract a penalty. So, it is proper   to recognise the people’s works in order not to be charged with plagiarism,” he said.

He appealed to the management of NCC to continue to convey the information to the young ones by going to schools and universities where projects are written.

“You see people writing things without mentioning where they got the information from,’’ he said.

On her part, Miss Khadija Bello, a student, described the programme as a great privilege for students to be enlightened on the copyright laws to avoid violation.

“Knowing how to protect my own creative work from being pirated is a good one to me personally.

“This experience has served as a form of encouragement to me, because it has taught me on how to be creative and express my ideas without fear,” she said.(NAN) 

Edited by Deji Abdulwahab