September 1, 2016, has been set aside as the National ‘No Music Day’. This move is an initiative of the Copyright Society of Nigeria, COSON, and it’s been set aside as a day to draw attention to the widespread infringement of the rights of the creative minds in the local music industry.
The theme of this year’s event is ‘The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space’
COSON is calling on stakeholders in the music industry and lovers of music in Nigeria to observe a one-day “music Hunger Strike” on Thursday, September 1, 2016.
Making the call, COSON Chairman, Tony Okoroji said, “Creative people in Nigeria cannot afford to forget that historic week in 2009 when Nigerian artistes embarked on a weeklong hunger strike staged in front of the National Theatre in Lagos.
“The protest was a result of frustration caused by the devastating level of intellectual property theft in our country was the prelude to what has become known as ‘No Music Day’ the day on September 1, 2009 that practitioners in the Nigerian music industry asked all the 400 licensed broadcast stations in the country not to broadcast music for a significant period of the day”.
Continuing, Okoroji said, “In 2016, it has become imperative that we take appropriate action to remind the different governments in Nigeria that the disease which necessitated the hunger strike of 2009 has not quite been cured and that at this time of dwindling oil revenue, Nigeria must take important steps to protect its creative industries to ensure the socio-economic progress of our nation.”
Music industry players like Innocent ‘Tubaba’ Idibia, Obi Asika, Efe Omoregbe, Koffi, and Azeezat have joined their voices by encouraging Nigerians to support the body’s campaign.
To commemorate the day, Broadcast stations across Nigeria have been requested not to broadcast music between the hours of 8am and 10am on Thursday, September 1, 2016, as a mark of solidarity with the nation’s creative industries which have suffered immensely from the debilitating infringement of copyright.
Rather than broadcast music, the stations have been asked to dedicate the two hours for a broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and discussions that focus on the rights of creative people and the potential contributions of creative activities to the national economy.
The Nigerian public is requested to tune into different domestic radio and television stations on September 1 to engage top COSON members, Intellectual Property lawyers, investors in the music industry and other music industry experts who will spread out to diverse broadcast stations to discuss “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space”.
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