Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
6-24-2021
Abstract
Effective utilization of intellectual resources plays a significant role in a nation’s development. However, without proper enforcement of the Copyright Act to aid the protection of these intellectual resources, copyright infringements are inevitable. Due to technological advancement, piracy activities in the Nigerian environment have turned on a new tide even in the face of virile copyright law. Based on these current trends, a reappraisal of the Copyright law vis-a-vis piracy activities in the Nigerian environment is the main spectrum of this paper. This paper establishes that socioeconomic factors are responsible for the high commercialization of intellectual products in the Nigerian environment such as a high level of corruption on the part of the regulatory agencies, lack of enforcement of copyright laws, non-availability and accessibility of intellectual products among others. Specific measures to ameliorate piracy activities were identified such as the enforcement of copyright laws by the regulatory and enforcement agencies, reorientation of the Nigerian populace, compulsory online registration by authors and creators of intellectual works, and stiffer sanctions on copyright infringements. In conclusion, recommendations were given to address the growing rate of piracy in the Nigerian market.