Attorney genaral resolves collective rights’ rift between NCC, MCSN

The 28-year-old collective rights’ rift between the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) and the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) Ltd/Gte has been resolved.

This followed the intervention of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami.

As part of the resolution, the attorney general directed the NCC to effect the licencing and approval of MCSN Ltd/Gte to operate as a collecting organ.

The minister, in a letter to the NCC’s DG yesterday also directed it to withdraw all pending cases and appeals instituted by it.

Malami further directed the commission to liaise with his office, as well as the House Committee on Justice and Judiciary, Nigerian Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (NIALS), Nigerian Law Reform Commission (NLRC) and other stakeholders to review the Copyright Act.

The minister urged the NCC to deal with the collecting societies in accordance with the extant laws, rules of natural justice and equity, in line with international best practices.

Trouble had started when the NCC registered the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in August 1989, as the country’s sole Collective Management Organisation (CMO) for musical works and sound recordings.