Entertainment

Frank Edward Tasks FG On Piracy

Published

6 years ago

January 29, 2019

Eniola Olayemi

A music artist, Mr. Frank Edward, has appealed to the Federal Government to ensure strict laws against piracy, to safeguard intellectual property rights in the country.

Edward made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Port Harcourt.

He said that piracy had recently become an issue of great concern in the country, noting that laws to stem the menace were being strictly enforced.

Edward is pleading that the federal government should take urgent steps to contain the menace.

He noted that the Performing Musicians Association of Nigeria (PMAN), which is saddled with the responsibility of protecting the intellectual property rights of Nigerian musicians have rather failed in their duty, leaving the artists to struggle in self-help.

“I think that PMAN should be more interested in sponsoring to the National Assembly such a bill that rejects piracy in its entirety or seek for amendment of a section of the constitution in that regard.

“The trendy business in `Mixed Tapes’ is the highest form of piracy that has no law fighting it.

“For instance, a pirate who decides to pick a song each from different original albums to form his own album, even without copyright permission from the original owners of the work, cannot be taken to court because there is no legal basis in such matters in the country’s constitution.

“Pirates have now known they could adopt this dubious strategy without falling into the long arm of the law and they are making brisk business through Mixed Tapes, at the expense of the artists,’’ he said.

Edward further said that piracy does not encourage upcoming artists who may not be exposed to other international distribution networks to market their works.

“I feel sorry for the upcoming artists, for some of us who started a little early, we’ve found ways to market our songs internationally, both online and through other distribution networks.

“But for the upcoming artists who may have only the Alaba International Market in Lagos that is already flooded with pirates as their only distribution point, it is a big problem,’’ he said.

The artist said that piracy has grown worse, such that even genuine marketers now resort to collaborating with pirates to enable them to market their products for a specific time frame, before such works could be pirated.

“This time around, genuine marketers pay homage to pirates, to beg them to allow them sell their songs for a specific period.

“They enter into an agreement, saying please allow me sell this album for 2 years, before you begin to produce pirated copies, it is that bad,’’ Edward said.

Entertainment

AFRIMA partners stakeholders to actualise AU’s vision on creative economy at PACC6 in Moroni, Comoros

Published

4 weeks ago

October 12, 2024

august24admin

AFRIMA partners stakeholders to actualise AU’s vision on creative economy at PACC6 in Moroni, Comoros

AJAGBE ADEYEMI TESLIM

SPONSORED BY: H&H

As one of the institutions championing positive change in the global entertainment industry, All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) has reaffirmed its commitment to the growth of Africa’s creative economy by partnering with critical stakeholders to align with the African Union’s vision for cultural and creative development, as outlined during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) in Moroni, Union of Comoros.

Cross section of participants including AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), Sola Dada during the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) with the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want” held in Moroni, Union of Comoros

It was a gathering of key stakeholders, including Pan-African cultural institutions, artists, cultural workers, and policymakers in the East African country, at an epoch-making event held between September 25 and 27, 2024. At this event, a framework for action aligning national and continental policies was developed, emphasizing the development of arts and heritage as crucial to achieving the AU’s Agenda 2063 vision.

In a presentation at the event, Sola Dada, AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), took the audience through the organisation’s activities since its inception in 2014, tailored towards promoting music, arts, and culture on the continent and the sustained effort to collaborate with other industry institutions to deepen the entertainment ecosystem in Africa.

“AFRIMA has successfully collaborated with policymakers, governments, African artistes, producers, record labels, promoters, publishing companies, media and the African Union Commission (AUC) to celebrate and promote African music globally,” Dada told the conference. “Through our seven core pillars, namely Music Awards, Music Festivals, Music Business Hub, Talent Discovery and Promotion, AFRIMA Creative Academy, Advisory and Policy Debates, Corporate Social Responsibility and Advocacy, we have positioned African music as a tool for integration, inclusivity, economic prosperity, and world peace.”

He said as the longest-running African music award platform with a global reach, AFRIMA plays a critical role in enhancing the visibility of African music.

AFRIMA’s Director of Stakeholders Engagement, Media, and Communications (Global), Sola Dada(with cap), giving a speech at the recently concluded 6th Pan-African Cultural Congress (AU/PACC6) with the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want” held in Moroni, Union of Comoros

Dada added that. ” AFRIMA’s events bring together thousands of music artistes, actors, celebrities, governments, and professionals from around the world to continent’s cultural significance on the global stage.

“Through our partnership with the AU and other stakeholders, AFRIMA is well-positioned to support the implementation of policies that will drive the growth of Africa’s creative economy. With a focus on integration, innovation, and cultural preservation, AFRIMA and the AU are set to make significant strides toward the Africa We Want as envisioned in Agenda 2063.”

The AU/PACC6, held under the theme “Arts, Culture, Heritage, and Education: Levers for Buildings Africa We Want,” served as a platform for Pan-African cultural institutions, cultural workers, and experts to engage in discussions on how to leverage these sectors to build a stronger African identity.

The congress concluded with a framework for action designed to guide cultural and educational development across the continent.

The congress resulted in several key resolutions aimed at strengthening Africa’s cultural sectors, including support for national cultural policies, engagement of youth and women, heritage preservation, promotion of African languages, and cultural exchange programmes that allow African youth to collaborate, showcase their work, and learn from one another.

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Angela Martins, Acting Director for Social Development, Culture, and Sport at the African Union Commission (AUC), highlighted the rapid growth of Africa’s cultural and creative industries, referring to them as the continent’s “new crude oil” due to their increasing global economic influence. Martins called for greater investment in the sector, citing AU Assembly Decision 772, which advocates for allocating at least 1% of national budgets to arts, culture, and heritage.

As part of the AU’s efforts, she announced the development of an arts education policy aimed at integrating arts education into school curriculums across Member States.

“This policy aligns with the AU’s theme of the year for 2024 and aims to nurture young talent from an early age,” she said.

Martins praised the efforts of key institutions in the entertainment, art and cultural space including AFRIMA which she described as “Africa’s global music awards and longest-running music award platform, with a huge global appeal, diaspora audience, and youthful fans.”

The main events of AFRIMA are usually broadcast live to over 84 countries around the world after a continental and global roadshow, with thousands of music artists, actors, celebrities, members of the diplomatic corps, professionals in the creative space, tourists, media and fans from all over the world converging on the host country.