Nigeria Copyright Commission (NCC) has called for the need for adequate and effective legal framework for the administration and enforcement of property rights.
The Director-General of NCC, Mr John Asein, said in a goodwill message in Abuja as Nigeria joint the rest of the world to mark the 2019 World Intellectual Property Day.
He said the day was set aside by member states of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to raise global awareness on the importance of Intellectual property (IP).
According to him, the theme for this year’s celebrated is ‘Reach for Gold: IP and Sports.
He said the theme was chosen to take a closer look inside the world of sports, the creative and innovation elements that sustain them and how intellectual property continues to improve the future of sports.
”It is therefore, with delight that the NCC joins the international community in this years celebration.
”Nigeria occupies a unique place in the world of sports given its exploits and successes in various sporting events.
”On this occasion, we pay tribute to our talented youths, men and women whose sporting talents continue to bring laurels and honour to the country, he said.
Asein said that the universal value of sports in today’s world was phenomenal adding that sports has become a multi-billion -dollar global industry.
He said the industry creates employments, attracts investment and contribute to the growth of a whole chain of dependent industries.
The Director General said that business relationships built on intellectual property rights help to secure the economic value of sports.
”It is estimated that intellectual property lies at the heart of the commercial exploitation of sports, contributing substantially to the growth of a community of players, fans whose net worth over 300 billion dollars.
”The use of intellectual property rights through branding, merchandising, licensing of live broadcast and transmission of sporting events represents significant streams of income in the sports sector.
”For the full potential of the sporting and associated industries to be realised, countries must put in place adequate responsive and effective legal frameworks for the protection, adminstration and enforcement of rights,” he said.
Asein said in responding to the need to modernise its copyright system, the Federal Executive Council recently approved a daft copyright bill that would better suite the digital environment.
He called on all stakeholders to continue to support government in its determination to build a functional copyright system, that would deliver the expected dividends to right owners.
