The Nigerian Copyright Commission, NCC said it is committed to assisting Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) with the needed framework to facilitate their use of the copyright system in converting ideas to bankable assests and to engender investor confidence in the sector.
This was made known by the Director-General, NCC, John Asein on Monday as the commission marks World’s Intellectual Property (IP) Day in Abuja.
Asein who spoke on this year’s theme “IP & SMEs: Taking your ideas to market” underscored the place of SMEs in the society and how the IP system can serve as a vehicle for moving their raw ideas to the market.
He said “SMEs account for over 90 percent of the world’s businesses and a significant portion of the global work force. The opportunities available to them in the creative space are limitless in today’s digital and online platforms.
“The commission is convinced that a sound IP system is important for that to happen and to guarantee return on intellectual investment.”
Explaining how the commission aims at assisting SMEs, The DG said “appropriate regulatory solutions are being developed to encourage better licensing practice and aid the effective use of flexibilities to grow copyright-related industries.
“The commission will also be improving the copyright registration system to make it more user-friendly and responsive to the needs of SMEs, taking cognizance of today’s market realities.
“NCC is collaborating with World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) Arbitration and Mediation Center to promote the use of arbitration and mediation for speedy resolution of entertainment disputes”.
To complement the efforts of the commission, Asein urged practitioners to pay more attention to the business side of their creative endeavors such as right clearance, licensing, marketing strategies, rights management, dispute resolution and effective protection in order to ensure adequate returns on their intellectual and financial investment.
