The Nigerian Copyright Commission has warned Disc Jockeys against publicly playing music without proper authorisation or a valid licence.
In an advisory released on Wednesday in Abuja, the NCC’s Director-General, John Asein, expressed concern over reports that some DJs have been performing copyrighted music in public without securing the necessary licences from the rights holders or their authorised Collective Management Organisations (CMOs).
Asein emphasised that, under Sections 9 and 12 of the Copyright Act, 2022, only the copyright owner of a musical work or sound recording has the exclusive right to reproduce, perform, or communicate the work to the public.
“Engaging in any of these acts without the owner’s authorisation constitutes an infringement under the Act.
“Such infringement may constitute a civil wrong or a criminal offence under section 44 (7), punishable upon conviction by a fine of not less than N1 million or imprisonment for a term of not less than five years or both.
“The public performance of music by a DJ, whether at hotels, event centres, clubs, gardens, or recreational facilities, constitutes both a public performance and a communication to the public of the musical work and sound recording, as provided for under the Act,” he said.
He advised them to secure the necessary licences and pay royalties to the designated Collective Management Organisation (CMO) before proceeding with such performances.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the approved CMO for musical works and sound recordings in Nigeria is the Musical Copyright Society, Nigeria (MCSN).
“The Commission is aware that the Disc Jockey’s Association of Nigeria (DJAN), as the umbrella body representing DJs in Nigeria, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with MCSN.
“Under the arrangement, DJAN is authorised to work with MCSN to facilitate the payment of royalties by DJs nationwide, based on the tariff that DJAN had negotiated with MCSN,” he explained.
However, the Director-General emphasised that the commission would not hesitate to investigate, arrest, and prosecute any DJ found violating the law.
He added that, going forward, the commission would collaborate with other relevant authorities to support DJAN’s initiative and ensure that DJs conduct their work in accordance with the Copyright Act.
