Wazobia FM, COSON sign copyright pact - BIGTIMI'S BLOG

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Thursday, July 26, 2012
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As part of the move to make artiste reap the
gains of their creativity, the Globe
Broadcasting and Communications Limited,
owners and operators of Nigeria's popular
radio stations- Wazobia FM, has signed royalty
agreement with the Copyright Society of
Nigeria (COSON). With the signing, the station
is now free to play any song by Nigerian
artistes in the course of entertaining its
numerous listeners without infringing on the
copyright laws as the media organisation has
agreed to pay royalty to the artistes through
COSON, which almost all Nigerian artistes are
members.

Speaking at the colourful occasion, the Group
Managing Director, Wazobia FM stations, Amin
Moussalli, said the agreement demonstrates his
organisation's respect for the Nigerian Copyright
Laws, urging other media owners to stop running
away from the law.
He said:"If you believe in the Nigeria laws, do the
same like John F Kennedy said, nobody is below the
law; nobody is above the law."
He stressed that it is the tradition of his organisation
to operate within the framework of the law, saying
business grows when the entrepreneurs respects the
right of others especially the environment where he
operates.
Mousalli also used the occasion to announce plans by
his group to go into television broadcasting in 2013,
saying that the National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC) was currently vetting his group's application
to this effect.
On his part, chairman of COSON, Tony Okoroji,
described the agreement as a positive step towards
making Nigerian musicians reap the fruits of their
labour.
He added that most Nigerian broadcast industries
are guilty of exploiting the potentials that exist in the
country for creation of wealth and employment. He
said, "business in Nigeria need to understand that in
the new world economy, driven by knowledge,
respect for intellectual property is central to any
sustainable development.