Punch Newspapers
Sections
Published 11 December 2020
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has declared that the General Distribution which is practised by the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, is illegal.
The practise involves the annual distribution of the same amount of music royalties, usually about N30,000 each, to thousands of the organization’s members.
This practice was challenged in court by the Music Publishers’ Association of Nigeria, MPAN, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1418/2019; Green Light Music Publishing Ltd, Chocolate City Music Ltd, Premier Music Publishing Company Ltd v. Copyright Society of Nigeria Ltd/Gte.
The judgement which was delivered on November 25, 2020, by Justice Oguntoyinbo also ordered COSON to stop further distribution of royalties “in a manner known as ‘General Distribution’ or how so ever called which does not reflect the usage of works.”
Court strikes down COSON’s general distribution
On
Kindly Share This Story:
A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has put an end to Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON)’s “General Distribution” practice.
General Distribution, as was COSON’s practice, involved in principle the distribution of the same amount of music royalties (usuallyabout Thirty Thousand Naira) to each of the thousands of members of the organization yearly.
This was without regard to the size of music catalogues owned or controlled, or the usage of works.
Disclosing this in a statement, Michael Odiong on behalf of the organization said that the Music Publishers’ Association of Nigeria (MPAN) is the single largest body of owners of copyright in musical works in Nigeria, and is made up of owners of interests in local and international copyright catalogues comprising tens of thousands of musical works. Members of MPAN successfully challenged thepractice in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/1418/2019; Green Light Mus