The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) on Thursday, August 22, 2024, stormed the Yaba area of Lagos state where it confiscated suspected pirated books worth N50 million.
A team of NCC officials led by Charles Amudipe, the Head of Operations of the commission in Lagos carried out an anti-piracy action in Yaba Book Market.
Mr Amudipe said five bookshops and three warehouses including parking stores, where suspected pirated books were stored around Yaba market were visited.
He said, “Materials suspected to be pirated were seized and owners of those bookshops were arrested.”
Mr Amudipe noted that the team visited the warehouse (parking stores), Chuks, Edu and Don Mekus bookshops, all in Yaba area of Lagos state.
”The anti-piracy raid is to send a signal to the public that the commission has upscaled its enforcement activities.
“The commission warns booksellers, schools, printers and all those who deal in copyright materials that the commission will not tolerate piracy in any form, ” he said.
He noted that the commission was aware that pirated books were being pushed directly to schools for sale.
”Any school found aiding the sale of pirated books will be treated as a book pirate.
“The commission hereby mandates all printers, booksellers and schools who deal in books to have adequate documentation on the source of the books they are dealing in.
“Any printer who does not keep the expected records according to the copyright act will be severely dealt with.
‘All those who engage in bookselling should have proper receipts as evidence for their purchase from the right source, ” he said.
