COPYRIGHT SOCIETY OF NIGERIA COSON HOLDS NIGERIAN DIGITAL MUSIC SUMMIT

All is now set as Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON in collaboration with Growth & Employment Projects (GEM) Nigeria supported by the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade & Investment and funded by the World Bank and the United Kingdom’s Department of International Development (DFID) hosts the Nigerian Digital Music Summit. The summit which will take place at Eko Convention Center, Eko Hotel & Suites, Victoria Island, on September 28 and 29 has the theme“Establishing the Basic Rules of Engagement in the Digital Environment.”

Tony Okoroji, COSON Chairman

The two-day event provides an opportunity for key players in the production and distribution of music in the digital era in Nigeria to engage with copyright experts to determine the basic rules of engagement in the digital environment in order to ensure that every person or organization in the value chain can get a fair deal, a condition necessary for stability and growth of the music industry.

The summit will have in attendance copyright experts from around the world such as Tarja Koskinen-Olsson, International Adviser at Olsson & Koskinen Consulting, Finland & Sweden and former President, International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO); Robert Hooijer, International Consultant on Collective Management of Copyright and Neighbouring Rights and former CEO of International Confederation of Societies of Authors & Composers (CISAC) and current Coordinator of International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI) for Sub Saharan Africa; Inger Elise Mey, Director of Online Media, Broadcast and International Licensing at TONO, the Norwegian Performing Rights Society; Nothando Migogo, CEO CAPASSO, the mechanical rights society in South Africa and former Managing Director, DALRO South Africa and Warrick Percy, Head Digital Licensing, CAPASSO, South Africa among others.

Speaking on the event, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, “I expect to see every serious player in the music industry at the summit. I mean songwriters, performers, music publishers, music label owners, music aggregators, digital service providers, telephone companies, computer manufacturers, government regulatory agencies, etc. The summit is critical as the production and distribution of music has gone almost completely digital. New business models are emerging. The distribution process is changing rapidly. The summit is not a talk shop. It is an opportunity to agree on how to move forward so that everybody’s interest is protected and the Nigerian music industry can grow and meet its true potentials. Everyone who wants to survive in the new environment ought to be at the Digital Music Summit.”   

Also speaking, Mr. Efe Omorogbe, CEO of Now Muzik and one of the panelists at the summit said, “The Nigerian music industry is set to make history as COSON rolls out the Digital Music Summit. There have been complaints in several quarters that our industry lacks the basic structures to function properly. The Digital Music Summit is one key development that will make up for that inadequacy. Now is the time for all hands to be on deck as we set the future right for our music industry in this digital era.”

Also speaking, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji, Chief Executive Officer of COSON said, “It has become clear that the Nigerian Music Industry has shown great potentials for job creation and substantial contributions to the nation’s economy. The industry can only grow properly if the right international framework is put in place. This is what the Digital Music Summit brings. We have worked hard towards this event and it gives me great joy now that it is here, knowing what will happen in the music industry after September 28 and 29. I can say boldly that our industry is in for a revolution. We are bringing in some of the finest music distribution and intellectual property experts that can be found anywhere in the world to engage with our music industry stakeholders in shaping the pathway for a more rewarding music industry in Nigeria. We are certain that the outcome of this summit will place Nigeria on the same pedestal as other thriving creative economies of the world. Indeed change has come to the Nigerian music industry.”