Nigeria Ratifies Internet Copyright Treaties

Nigeria has ratified four international copyright treaties for the protection of Intellectual Property across the country.

 

A statement issued by the Head of Media at the Nigerian Copyright Commission, Ijeoma Egbunike, in Abuja on Monday said the instruments of ratification were presented to the World Intellectual Property Organisation in Geneva last week.

 

The instruments of ratification were handed over to the Director General of WIPO, Dr. Francis Gurry, during the Plenary of the 57th WIPO General Assembly by Ambassador Audu Kadiri, the Permanent Representative at the Permanent Mission of Nigeria to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations in Geneva.

 

The treaties are the WIPO Copyright Treaty, the WIPO Performances and Phonogram Treaty, the Beijing Treaty on Audio Visual Performances, and the Marrakesh Treaty to facilitate access to published works for persons who are blind or visually impaired.

 

The WCT and WPPT, often referred to as “Internet Treaties” were the response of international intellectual property community to the challenges of copyright protection in the emerging digital technology driven environment.