The common threads in these headlines are accusations and counter-accusations regarding ownership of songs in the music industry in Nigeria. Artistes generally get upset when they find out their work has been used or reproduced without their permission. How can artistes avoid this occurrence; prevent others from using their works without permission? What is required is copyright protection. Copyright is a type of intellectual property right that protects artistes' work (i.e. from unlawful use of their original material). Copyright laws provide artistes with exclusive rights to their works. Copyright infringement occurs when a copyrighted work is reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the express permission of the copyright owner; in other words, copyright infringement is any unauthorized use of copyrighted material. Under the Nigerian law, copyright infringement exposes the party in breach to damages. Music copyright infringement or intellectual property abuse in general, is not a Nigerian phenomenon; it is a crime that is frowned at all over the world.
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