Slow and Steady Wins the Race? - Nigeria's Copyright Amendment Bill is finally before the National Assembly

Three years after Nigeria’s Federal Executive Council considered and approved the Copyright (Repeal) Bill, it has now been transmitted to the National Assembly for enactment into law.

Readers following the copyright reform process in Nigeria would recall that following public comments in February 2015, a team of national experts engaged through the Nigerian Copyright Commission revised the Draft Copyright Bill before it was presented to the Federal Executive Council for consideration and approval. [It has been a protracted wait since then and so there is some relief that the reform process is back on track.]

We wait...

This Kat is yet to see a copy of the Copyright (Repeal) Bill that was presented to the National Assembly. However, if the Bill is same as or similar to the Draft Copyright Bill 2015, then one may surmise that the issues addressed in the Bill would include the right of remuneration for some categories of authors and copyright owners, special exceptions for blind, visually impaired and print disabled persons per the Marrakesh Treaty, provision against circumvention of technological protection measures, rights management information, provisions domesticating the Beijing Treaty, etc.

In terms of timeline, the Copyright (Repeal) Bill still have a ways to go at least time wise. It will need to pass through 3 readings including consideration by a committee before it is signed and passed by the National Assembly and then forwarded to the President for his assent or veto. For guidance on the law-making process in Nigeria, see here.

 

There is also the challenge of other copyright amendment bills such as the Bill for an Act to repeal the Copyright Act Cap C28 LFN 2004 and to re-Enact the Copyright Act 2021 and for matters connected therewith, 2021 (SB. 688) which has already passed through two readings before the Senate.