The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Kaduna Office, has intensified its nationwide campaign against piracy with a sensitisation and inspection exercise targeting printers, publishers, booksellers and schools in Kaduna State.
The exercise, led by the State Coordinator of the Commission, Rukayya Muhammad Yeldu, was part of a nationwide initiative directed by the Director-General of the NCC, Dr. John Asein.
The initiative was conceived to strengthen compliance with copyright laws and curb the activities of pirates in the printing and publishing value chain.
Speaking during the sensitisation held with members of the Kaduna Master Printers Association, Yeldu said the aim was to enlighten printers who often fall victim to pirates on how to identify, report, and prevent copyright infringements within their operations.
She urged bookshop operators in the State to comply with copyright laws as part of efforts to curb piracy and strengthen intellectual property protection.
“The essence of this sensitisation, monitoring and inspection exercise is to educate printers who are usually the target of pirates. We are enlightening them on how to detect infringement, how to report it, and how to ensure they do not become conduits for pirated works,” she explained.
Yeldu reminded the printers of their legal obligation under Section 48 of the Copyright Act, which requires them to maintain proper records of all printing jobs handled.
“By law, every printer must keep a record containing the client’s name, address, phone number, quantity, and description of the job received. This helps enforcement officers trace the origin of any pirated material”.
She warned that failure to comply attracts severe penalties, including fines or imprisonment.
“Once you are caught violating the law, you may be fined ₦100,000 or sentenced to one year imprisonment, or both. In some cases, offenders could face up to five years in jail,” Yeldu warned.
Yeldu disclosed that the Kaduna Office of the NCC has been extending the campaign beyond urban areas, visiting schools, booksellers and local government areas across the state to ensure full compliance.
“This sensitisation is nationwide and ongoing. We were in Zaria recently where we visited several schools and confiscated pirated books. We are also moving to other local governments. This is a continuous exercise,” she added.
In his remarks, Chairman of the Kaduna Master Printers Association, Bello Ibrahim, commended the Commission for bringing the campaign directly to the printers’ doorsteps, describing it as timely and impactful.
“We are grateful that you came to sensitise our members. Ignorance is not an excuse, and hearing this directly from the NCC gives our members a better understanding. It makes enforcement easier for us as an association,” he said.
Bello added that the association would leverage its communication platforms to spread the message to printers in other parts of the state, including Zaria, Kafanchan and other areas.
