Mutation of piracy and its effect on Nollywood.
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Date
2019
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Publisher
NTAtv Journal of Communication
Abstract
The menace of piracy has been a recurring decimal in the Nigerian entertainment industry for a very long time. Although the illegal business of piracy is an encompassing thriving criminal enterprise that includes books, journals, movies, music and software, all of which have been examined in the past, the focus of this study is mainly the effect of mutation of piracy on Nollywood movies. This study examined the cause of piracy and its effects on Nollywood movies. The study adopted a historical analysis method to interrogate this work, as well as interviews of some industry personalities. Before the new millennia, piracy involved coming in physical contact with the work to be pirated. However, in this twenty-first century period, the development of new technology has made the theft of intellectual property a ubiquitous and safe enterprise. Consequently, the requirement of obtaining a copy before engaging in the illicit business has also been completely eliminated thereby making piracy more difficult to detect, let alone prevent. The findings are that the main cause of piracy is profiteering. Other unintended consequence is the economic loss to the original inventor and producer, which has a deteriorating effect on further production of such work. The study concludes that the law in the books that protect copyright owners should be reinforced and strictly enforced to discourage piracy violators and give confidence to film producers who want to commit their resources into legitimate production.