Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman, COSON
COPYRIGHT Society of Nigeria (COSON) has accused the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) of trying to frustrate criminal trial of the Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN). In a letter addressed to the Attorney General of the Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke, Chairman, COSON, Mr. Tony Okoroji noted that BON letter dated February 13, 2013 addressed to the Attorney General was nothing but total falsehood.
According to Okoroji, COSON has not picketed any television station and has no plans to do so as alleged but that it has relied on the law and moral suasion instead of intimidation to achieve objectives of the organisation, stressing that MCSN and not COSON that picketed television stations and directed the Attorney General to verify matters from the management of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and that of Television Continental (TVC).
Okoroji said it is a shocking falsehood for BON to claim that MCSN owns and controls ‘more than 90% of musical works and related audio-visual works within the territory of Nigeria. “What are the names of the artistes that created the 90% repertoire?”, he asked, stressing that at least about 100 of Nigeria’s most popular artistes are all members of COSON. He alleged that the Performing Rights Society (PRS) of London terminated its symbiotic relationship with MCSN since 2010.
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