A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF COPYRIGHT LAWS: NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT ACT COMPARED WITH THE UNITED STATES, INDIA, AND THE UNITED KINGDOM, WITH A FOCUS ON THE FILM INDUSTRY
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.53704/fulaj.v1i2.552Abstract
The need for the protection of the film industries has never been more pressing. In Nigeria, the laws regulating and safeguarding the rights of filmmakers have been criticized over the years for being backward and inadequate in protecting their rights and those of creative in general. However, with the advent of the new Copyright Act of 2022, there is hope that Nigeria may have an improved set of laws aimed at ensuring the protection of creators, especially filmmakers. Nevertheless, some may argue that the Act still lacks compared to other countries with strong copyright laws that adequately protect their film sectors, such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and India. By comparing the copyright laws of these three jurisdictions to that of Nigeria, this research paper aims to determine if the new Copyright Act is on par with those of its more advanced counterparts and, if not, how the Nigerian Copyright Act can be further improved. This paper delves into the legal protection of films in Nigeria, the United States, the United Kingdom, and India, aiming to illustrate the differences and similarities in their laws by examining specific issues concerning the protection of films, such as originality, bestowed rights, moral rights, performers' rights, and authorship and ownership. The objective is to ascertain whether the Nigerian Copyright Act adequately safeguards filmmakers in the country.
Keywords: Copyright Law, Film Industry, Audiovisual Works, Moral Rights, Comparative Analysis, Authorship.
References
Kiev Kelvin, ‘Why the Film Industry is Important: Exploring its Impact on Society and Culture’ (Kiev Kelvin, 16 April 2023) <https://kievkelvin.com/blog/why-the-film-industry-is-important/#google_vignette> accessed 4 March 2024.
Wole Olayinka, ‘Understanding Nigerian Copyright Law for Film Makers’ (Kurating, 5 September 2018) <https://kurating.com/understanding-nigerian-copyright-law-for-film-makers/> accessed 29 February 2024.
Nazareth Pantaloni, ‘Copyright’ (Indiana University Bloomington Indiana Universities Library, 2023) <https://guides.libraries.indiana.edu/copyright > accessed 6 March 2024.
Marios Beqiri ‘The Importance of Copyright and Intellectual Property for Creators’ (Fangage, 2023) <https://www.fangage.com/blog/the-importance-of-copyright-and-intellectual-property-for-creators> accessed 20 February 2024.
World intellectual Property Organisation, ‘How to Make a Living from Movie Copyright’ (WIPO Publication, 2022) <https://www.wipo.int/copyright/en/creative_industries/how-to-make-a-living-from-movie-copyright.html> accessed 1 March 2024.
Anita Ezike, ‘An Overview of the Significant Innovations Introduced by the Copyright Act 2022’ (Mondaq, 2022) <https://www.mondaq.com/nigeria/copyright/1434680/an-overview-of-the-significant-innovations-introduced-by-the-copyright-act-2022> Accessed 1 April 2024
Warner Solicitors, ‘The Importance of Creative Copyright Law’ (Warner Solicitors UK, 2022) <https://www.warners-solicitors.co.uk/importance-creative-copyright-law/> accessed 20 April 2024.
The Legal affair, ‘The Application and Influence of Copyright Law on Film Industry’ (Legal Affair, 2022) <https://thelegalaffair.com/the-application-and-influence-of-copyright-law-on-film-industry/ > Accessed 14th of March 2023
Kodichi Anigbogu and Adeyemi Owoade , ‘The Copyright Act 2022: Innovations for the Creative Industry’ (Jackson Etti & Edu, 2022) <https://jee.africa/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/The-Copyright-Act-2022-Innovations-for-the-Creative-Industry.pdf> accessed 15 March 2024.
Section 1 of the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022.
Section 108 of the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022.
Editorial, ‘7 ways the Copyright Act 2022 benefits creatives’ Business Day (Lagos, 29 January 2024) <https://businessday.ng/news/legal-business/article/7-ways-the-copyright-act-2022-benefits-creatives/ > accessed 1 April 2024
Sandra Eke and others, ‘A Review Of The Nigerian Copyright Act’ (Mondaq, 2022) <https://www.mondaq.com/nigeria/copyright/1356178/a-review-of-the-nigerian-copyright-act-2022#:~:text=The%20objectives%20of%20the%20Act,compliance%20with%20relevant%20international%20copyright> accessed 8 March 2024.
Section 19(1c) of the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022.
Section 108 of the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022.
Benson Okwuchukwu, Okoro, ‘Resolving Ownership Rights in The Copyright Works of Cinematograph Film and Sound Recording in Nigeria’ IJOCLLEP (2020) 2.
A.O. Oyewunmi, Nigerian Law of Intellectual Property (University of Lagos Press and Bookshop limited, 2015) 70-71.
J.O. Odion and N.E.O, Essays on Intellectual Property Law (Ambik Press Ltd, 2010)
(3) of the Nigerian Copyright Act.
Section 63 of the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022.
Article 6bis, Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, 1886.
Michael B. Gunlicks, 'A Balance of Interests: The Concordance of Copyright Law and Moral Rights in the Worldwide Economy', Fordham Intell. Prop. Media & Ent. L.J., (2001) 11(3), p. 608. <https://ir.lawnet. fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1220&context=iplj> Accessed 17 March 2024.
World Intellectual Property Organisation, 'Guide to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works' (WIPO Publication, 1978), 41-42.
accessed 16 March 2024
Mira T. Sundara Rajan, 'Moral Rights: Principles, Practice and New Technology', Oxford University Press, (2011), 5 <https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1805395 > accessed 15 March 2024.
Kent M.H & Kaufman J.J, ‘An Associate’s Guide to the Practice of Copyright Law’ Oxford University Press, (2009) <https://books.google.com.ng/books/about/An_Associate_s_Guide_to_the_Practice_of.html?id=IlxBAQAAIAAJ&redir > Accessed 17 April 2024.
Article I, Section 8, Clause 8, The Constitution of the United States, 1788.
United States Code, Section 10, Copyright Act of 1976.
United States Code, Section 102, Copyright Act, 1976.
Sotiris Petridis, ‘Comparative Issues on Copyright Protection for Films in the US and Greece’ Journal of Intellectual Property Rights, (July 2014), 19, 282-292 <https://ikee.lib.auth.gr/record/292796/files/Petridis%20%20Comparative%20Issues%20on%20Copyright%20Protection%20for%20Films%20in%20the%20US%20and%20Greece.pdf > accessed 2 March 2024.
Roggero C, ‘Colourisation and the right to preserve the integrity of a film: A comparative study between civil and common law’, Entertainment Law Review (2011), 22 (1), 25, 29 <https://www.dandi.media/en/colourisation-right-preserve-integrity-film-comparative-study-civil-common-law/> accessed 12 April 2024
Moullier B and Holmes R, ‘Rights, Camera, Action! IP Rights and the Film-Making Process’ WIPO Publications, (2007), 2, 81.
United States Code, Section 302, Copyright Act of 1976.
Betsy Rosenblatt, ‘Moral Rights Basics’ Harvard Law School (2019)
<https://cyber.harvard.edu/property/library/moralprimer.html#:~:text=Under%20American%20Law%2C%20moral%20rights,Act%20of%201990%20(VARA)> accessed 19 March 2024.
198 N.Y.S. 299, 299.
Decherney P, ‘Hollywood’s Copyright Wars: From Edison to the Internet’ Columbia University Press, (2012), 108-109 <https://cup.columbia.edu/book/hollywoods-copyright-wars/9780231159470 > accessed 13 March 2024.
United States Code, Section 1101, Copyright Act of 1976.
United States Code, Section 1101 (a)(1) -(3), Copyright Act of 1976.
Mary LaFrance, ‘Are We Serious About Performers' Rights?’ (Scholarly Works, 2015) 1180 <https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2204&context=facpub> accessed 4 April 2024.
Muskaan Agarwal, ‘Copyright Law and Film Industry’, SSRN (2022)
<https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3972801 > accessed 23 March 2024.
Section 2(f) of the Indian Copyright Act, 1957 as amended in 1944.
79 PTC (368).
AIR 13.
Shristi Choudhary, ‘Copyright Law in India: An Overview of the Copyright Act’, SSRN (1957) <https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4694983> accessed 18 March 2024
4 ALLMR 910.
The Legal affair, ‘The Application and Influence of Copyright Law on Film Industry’ (Legal Affair, 2022) <https://thelegalaffair.com/the-application-and-influence-of-copyright-law-on-film-industry/ > accessed 14 April 2024
Indian Copyright Act, 1957, as amended in 1994.
80 BOMLR 263.
Shreyansh Gupta, Performer’s Rights Under Copyright Law (IPLeaders, 2021) <https://blog.ipleaders.in/performers-rights-under-copyright-law/ > Accessed 1 April 2024.
See Super Cassettes Industries v. Bathla Cassette Industries [2004] 1 RAJ 69.
Section 1 of Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
Section 77 Copyright, Patent and Design Act, 1988.
Lawbite, ‘Moral Rights’ (Law Bite UK, November 2023) <https://www.lawbite.co.uk/resources/blog/moral-rights> accessed 2 March 2024.
Section 9(1) Copyright Design and Patent Act, 1988.
1 WLR 383.
MacQueen, H & Waelde, Audio-Visual Performers' Rights in the UK. (WIPO Publication, 2003) <https://www.pure.ed.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/18765416/MacQueen_Waelde_Audio_visual_performers_UK_report_to_WIPO.pdf> accessed 3 April 2024.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 Dr. Eunice Erhagbe, Emmanuella Adesuwa Edevbaro
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
