The Nigerian Copyright Commission has apprehended three bookshop owners in Rivers over alleged involvement in book piracy.

Abdul Babatunde, NCC director in Port Harcourt, disclosed this on Tuesday shortly after an anti-piracy operation within the Port Harcourt metropolis.

Mr Babatunde stated that the commission confiscated suspected pirated books worth N3 million during the operation.

He said that the suspects were currently undergoing investigation and would be prosecuted after facts about their involvement in the act had been established.

The NCC official said it was part of the commission’s mandate to protect and promote the rights of authors and other investors in the copyright ecosystem.

According to him, the commission also ensures that authors and artists get the rewards of their hard work.

“The commission is committed to seeing that the activities of pirates in Rivers and Bayelsa are reduced to the barest minimum,” he said.

Mr Babatubde said the NCC director-general, John Asien, had zero tolerance for piracy and violation of the copyright laws. He warned booksellers, printers and importers against stealing people’s intellectual property.

The director also urged the public not to patronise pirates, saying, “Doing so is a criminal offence.”

“Patronising pirates is a contravention of Section 44 of the Copyright Act, 2022. Patronising piracy is to kill creativity and the economy. Let us buy our books from publishers and authorised dealers and not from middlemen, printers and roadside dealers,” he said.

Mr Babatunde urged the public to support the commission with credible information that can enable it to tackle piracy in the state.

One of the suspects, Chinyere Ezediora, told journalists that she had joined the business recently and had no knowledge of anti-piracy law.

“I heard about book piracy for the first time when the commission came for arrest in our shop. I urge the commission to sensitise the public more about the issue. The public needs to be more informed about the law,” she said.

(NAN)