A CURSORY REVIEW OF THE KEY PROVISIONS OF THE 2022 COPYRIGHT ACT OF NIGERIA AND THEIR COMPLIANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL TREATIES AND CONVENTIONS

Abstract

The concept of copyright is sui generis.1It is a property right that subsists in certain specified works, and deemed to be movable property. The 2022 Copyright Act of Nigeria signed into law on March 17, 2023; among other reasons seek to facilitate Nigeria’s compliance with international copyright treaties and conventions. This work is targeted to review the key provisions of the Act, and measuring its compliance with the Global Instruments. It is also targeted to give efficacy to the protection of the rights of authors to ensure just rewards and recognition for their creative work. This is achievable by enhancing the ability of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) to effectively administer and enforce the provisions of the Act. Adopting the doctrinal method of research witting, it is our finding that to guarantee legal protection to eligible works of copyright; the Act complied with the provisions of the WIPO Internet Treaties. These treaties with focus on copyright infringement over the internet are the WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT) and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT). Unlike the repealed Act new legal remedies to assist rights holders with the enforcement of their rights was also introduced. It is our recommendation that these introductions are very significant and capable of mitigating the challenges associated with content piracy and other forms of copyright infringement. This paper therefore makes the assertion that with proper engagement, the expanded powers of the NCC under the Act will go a long way in ensuring that it delivers on its mandate for the sake of right owners.