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AVRS holds AGM, ratifies audited accounts

From every nook and cranny of the country, members of Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), the nation’s sole approved Collective Management Organisation for audiovisual works, on Thursday, November 5, 2020...

From every nook and cranny of the country, members of Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), the nation’s sole approved Collective Management Organisation for audiovisual works, on Thursday, November 5, 2020, converged virtually for the 4th Annual General Meeting of the society.

Among the many top movie industry stakeholders present were Prince Jide Kosoko, Francis Onwochei, Alhaji Sani Muazu, Ejike Asiegbu, Kunle Afolayan, Yemi Sholade, Lillian Amah-Aluko, Chidinma and Chidiebere Aneke (Aneke Twins), Fred Amata – DGN President and Ahmad Sarari – MOPPAN President among several others.

The Director-General of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Mr. John Asein was present virtually from the Abuja Head Office of the NCC to give his special remarks. He commended the modest strides AVRS has made so far and promised it the continued support of NCC.

Reading his address, which received intermittent applause, AVRS Chairman Mr. Mahmood Ali-Balogun appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari through the Honourable Minister of Finance, Hadjia Zainab Ahmed and the Honourable Minister of Justice & Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Abubakar Malami, SAN, to quickly accelerate the implementation of the Levy on Copyright Materials.

Mr. Ali-Balogun also appealed to the NCC to speedily send the Beijing Treaty on Audiovisual Performances to the National Assembly for domestication and implementation. He also called on the National Assembly for a quick passage of the reviewed Draft Bill of the Copyright Law.

“The law and regulation necessary for the implementation of the copyright levy has since being made and its continued delay denies us, right owners in the creative sector access to legitimate income that should have accrued to us from our sweat.

“The government cannot say that it wants to grow the creative industries and yet fails to quickly implement the levy on copyright materials, domestication and implementation of the Beijing Treaty and passage of the Copyright Bill 2015.”

Mr. Ali-Balogun announced that the AVRS general assembly has approved the society’s audited account for 2018 & 2019 and the report of the Directors.

He also announced that the general assembly ratified the Board recommendation on the review of the ratio of the composition of membership of the different right holder groups within the Company.

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