STRAP and CLAMP - Nigeria Copyright Commission in Action

• Author: Sylvie Castonguay
• Position: WIPO Magazine Editorial Team, Communications and Public Outreach Division

STRAP and CLAMP - strong words that rightfully conjure up images of police enforcement and punishment as the acronyms for the Nigeria Copyright Commission's (NCC) anti-piracy initiatives: the Strategic Action Against Piracy launched in 2005 and the Copyright Litigation and Mediation Programme, the alternative dispute resolution arm of STRAP, followed a year later. In the war against piracy, the NCC is on the attack and achieving measurable results.

Dynamics of piracy in Nigeria

Ten years back, there was not much of a market for CDs in Nigeria. Popular local music came out on cassettes and foreign content on CDs that few could afford. There were one or two CD production plants. Today there are 15 plants and a distorted distribution network that cannot keep up with market demands. The daily output of 100,000 legitimate CDs is easily absorbed by Nigeria's 140,000,000 plus population, leaving a lot of room for pirates. Legitimate lines of production must be set up, making affordable products legally available.

But the problems caused by the vastness and informality of Nigeria's internal marketplace are not the only complications when it comes to fighting piracy:

* cross-borders issues arise with Nigeria's four neighbors: Benin, Chad, Cameroon and Niger;

* limited resources must be optimized and field work targeted for the best results;

* there is a general lack of awareness of IP laws and regulations.

Under the Nigerian legislation, the NCC is responsible for administering, regulating and enforcing copyright in Nigeria. The NCC had its work cut out to gradually overcome attitudes ingrained in society from youth up to the policymakers themselves. How to achieve all of that while building capacity across government institutions, especially in the area of enforcement? The STRAP anti-piracy initiative was implemented on three strategic platforms, namely: pubic enlightenment and education; enforcement; and rights administration.

The strategy

Enlightenment is aimed at providing stakeholders with knowledge of their IP rights and how to defend them, promoting respect for IP among users, and encouraging creativity. Enforcement, initiated by rights holders' complaints, entails the seizure of counterfeit products as well as prosecution of suspected...