Filmmakers in Asaba (Delta State) and Benin (Edo State) have given their total support to the promoters of the Audio-Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS), who made a stop in those cities recently.
Perhaps it is the recent public outcry against movie piracy that triggered their interest or they are just tired of having to succumb to the wanton theft of their intellectual property that has continued to go on unabated. Whatever it may be, filmmakers across the country turned out in exceptionally large numbers at the stakeholders’ sensitisation fora the AVRS organised in Asaba and Benin.
Following its approval by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) in November 2014 as the nation’s sole Collective Management Organisation for audio-visual works, AVRS had kick-started its enlightenment campaign activities in February 2015 with Stakeholders’ Forum in Lagos to enlighten stakeholders in the film industry on the purpose, nature and operations of AVRS, as well as their rights and obligations to the society, with a view to establishing cordial working relationships with various stakeholders in the film industry.
Chosen for their reputation as active movie production hubs in the South East and South South axis, the Asaba Forum attracted filmmakers from Enugu, Onitsha, Owerri, Umuahia and Aba, while Benin had participants from Agbor, Warri, Ekpoma and Port Harcourt in attendance.
Addressing the Forum at the prestigious Orchid Hotel, Asaba, Chairman of AVRS, Mahmood Ali-Balogun, traced the long and painstaking process of the formation of AVRS and various activities leading to its approval on November 20, 2014 by the NCC.
Delta State Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Richard Mofe-Damijo, who graced the event, expressed happiness that despite the initial delays in registration and approval, AVRS finally commenced operations. He described the society as “an idea whose time has come and the beginning of a new journey towards a greater tomorrow in the audio-visual industry”.
A director of AVRS and erstwhile president of Film and Video Producers and Marketers Association of Nigeria (FVPMAN), Emmanuel Isikaku, bemoaned the apathetic disposition of some stakeholders towards embracing new ideas. He made it clear that AVRS had become, in its short period of operations, the rallying point for stakeholders in the fight against movie piracy, and enjoined everyone to support the society to achieve her objectives.
In his own remarks, Onitsha-based film producer and marketer and director of AVRS, Osita Okeke (OssyAfasson), reminded his colleagues from the South East that their failure over the years to come out and participate fully in the activities of the movie industry had given their counterparts in Lagos an edge, making the industry appear more like a Lagos affair. He appealed to them to have a change of attitude or lose their benefits, as their laid-back posture would not stop initiatives like AVRS from thriving. Other directors of AVRS who spoke in similar manner were Andy Amenechi and Patrick Doyle.
General Manager of AVRS, Eme Akiba-Eyo, stressed the need for stakeholders to become registered members and assignees of the society. Displaying samples of the AVRS membership application form, work declaration form and deed of assignment, she made it clear that ownership of audio-visual content or rights did not confer automatic membership of AVRS on any stakeholder.
Her words: “It is very important for a right owner to fill the membership application form which is free, the works declaration form which serves as a proof of content ownership, and the deed of assignment which empowers the society to represent you, protect your intellectual property rights and ensure that your royalties get to you as and when due.”
It was much the same routine in Benin on April 23, except that the stakeholders had different faces.
The interactive sessions at both meetings provided stakeholders with the opportunity to express their support for the society, voice their concerns and seek clarifications from the directors on all grey areas.