Copyright law protection of films in Nigeria (Nollywood) and South Africa (Sollywood):pre and post-COVID‐19 pandemic

The Covid-19 pandemic inflicted socioeconomic harm on an unprecedented scale. Across the world and to varying degrees, cinemas were closed, festivals were cancelled or postponed, and film releases were moved to future dates or delayed indefinitely. In 2020 the entire global theatrical and home/mobile entertainment market totalled $80.8 billion, the lowest figure since 2016 and a decline of 18% from 2019. Theatrical entertainment accounted for only 15% of the total global entertainment revenue, compared to 43% in 2019. While some has been written about the effects of Covid-19 on both international and local film industries, this article seeks to provide an African perspective focusing on the realities in Nigeria and South Africa, respectively. This article examines the importance of filmmaking industries in Nigeria and South Africa as well as the difficulties faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Copyright laws in both terrains are critically reviewed based on the capacity of these laws to protect the interests of film industries pre and post-Covid-19

Exclusivity in the 6th edition of Nigeria Broadcast Commission (NBC) Code and a glimpse of the practice in South Africa and the United Kingdom

In Nigeria, the giants in the broadcast of films and sports perceive the 6th edition of Nigeria Broadcast Commission (NBC) Code as a means for others to benefit from their hard work in the industry. The Code makes it obligatory for broadcasters to sub-license their acquired or generated creative content to other broadcasters. Even though NBC has tried to justify its actions by claiming it is to promote competition, most perceive the provision as anti-competitive and a means to cripple the industry by discouraging the haves. This article critically examines the provisions of the Code on broadcast of films and sports. In addition, the practice in South Africa and the UK is explored to determine if similar practices occur in these jurisdictions. This article suggests a collective and negotiation approach between the regulators and the stakeholders (including the haves and the have-nots) in amending the Code

Introduction : Nigerian IP experience : Past and present

More than a century after the advent of intellectual property (IP) laws in Nigeria, IP has emerged from a relatively obscure subject matter into a notable field of law that has generated considerable debates across scholarship, policy and practice spheres. Yet it is ironic for an increasingly dynamic legal field like IP to hold such an unenviable pedigree of one of the least revised or improved pieces of legislation in the gazettes of Nigerian law. While the pioneer set of IP laws, comprising trademark, patent and copyright acts, were reputed to have served imperial interests, subsequent replacements, with the emergence of local industry, did not make much impact in the legal and commercial environment. That trend neither has significantly changed nor has come into full circle. In recent years, the growing significance of IP has been a subject of study in its doctrinal, empirical and interdisciplinary contexts, affirming that IP has truly emerged not only as a major currency of the digital age but also as indispensable to national development in our country and region. Policymakers, legal industry, academics, development experts and the public have risen to narratives of the strategic role of IP in emergent digital economy, and accompanying consensus on IP reform has resonated across board. This book reinforces that narrative and brings together contributions from Nigerian IP scholars who understand the nuances of the subject and application of its principles in national contexts. The array of authors in a single volume is provided by the idea to produce a collection of essays in honor of Professor Adebambo Adewopo, who is one of the fathers of IP teaching and scholarship and has contributed to the development of IP law and policy in Nigeria

“Their Color is a Diabolic Die,” Colonialism and the State of Environmental Justice in Africa

Environmental justice is crucial to the discourse on the African environment since Africa bears a significant share of the world’s resources, and conversely, it is home to a large number of globally disadvantaged people, whose access to the wealth of their native lands is beyond their reach. Therefore, it is necessary to examine how colonialism and the structures it has laid down in Africa are impeding environmental justice. Content analysis was used in the data collection. In this article, drawing from the slum arrangements in the cities of four African countries colonized by the British and French as case studies, it was revealed how colonialism has caused the degeneration of the African environment. Furthermore, colonialism created a class system that has fed social and economic inequality and has resulted in an intra-racial system of oppression that has made Africa’s poorest neighborhoods more vulnerable