Take piracy walk to the doorstep of lawmakers
Are we not tired of Lamentations and cries on piracy? Why are our movie makers, film makers, producers, movie marketers repeating the same chorus on piracy every year?Nigeria's huge film industry, Nollywood, may have overtaken Hollywood as the world's second largest producer of films, but piracy is threatening to cut off the industry in its prime if care is not taken.
Over the years, we have read online,in the dailies and heard on radio how stakeholders in the industry protested against piracy which has dealt a big blow to the industry. We don't need all the grammar and placards plus serious look on our producers faces before we interprets their plights to our neighbours.
"Private initiative cannot stop any crime piracy inclusive but efforts are on the way to make sure powerful legislation is passed against the menace" Corporate Pictures boss, Alhaji Abdullahi Rasaq, Chairman of the Yoruba Video Marketers Association of Nigeria told JustPye during a telephone chat.
Stakeholders in the sector had demonstrated a peaceful protest in the past to show their anger and displeasure on the reign and supremacy of pirates in Nigeria which has destroyed the production of quality movies
The past administration, senators and members of the House of Representatives did nothing to pass appropriate laws on piracy” instead, the former Nigeria president was allegedly romancing the industry for a wrong reasons.
The new administration under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari should revisit the issue of passing piracy into law which should be carefully handled by senators elected into the committee for Arts and culture.
The common language we understand in Nigeria, to make our demands known and recognised is "Protest or Strike"
The movie producers too should be prepared to take a walk to Aso Rock for posterity sake.
Movie makers and all stakeholders should as a matter of urgency stage a peaceful protest to the National Assmbly, House of Representative and if possible to Aso Rock.
By the time the present senators are aware that the moviemakers/producers are serious about the passing appropriate laws on piracy”, they will definitely adjust and pass it into law
Research says,according to a CNN entertainment analylist, "improvements in piracy technology are making the problem more acute, draining Nollywood's coffers and confidence and stopping the industry from making the improvements in quality it needs to cross over into the global mainstream. Nigeria's independent producers self-fund hundreds of movies each year. The average budget is around N3.5 million ($25,000). They make their money back by selling DVDs of their movies, which they burn themselves, on stalls in markets or in shops.
If piracy is not defeated, Nigeria film industry will continue to struggle with his counterparts.
WRITTEN BY OLAYEMI ESAN