Pay television entertainment provider, MultiChoice Nigeria, has warned individuals or entities that use DStv services for public use to obtain a commercial licence or risk litigation.
MultiChoice DStv Public Relations Manager, Caroline Oghuma, had last year given commercial pirates the opportunity to convert to legal commercial broadcast.
“We want these subscribers to stay on the right side of the law, and those who are yet to convert are infringing on the copy right laws of Nigeria and will face appropriate penalties,” she warned in the latest reminder.
MultiChoice is liaising with the Nigerian Copyrights Commission (NCC) to stop commercial piracy.
Early this year, officials of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Lagos zonal office issued a 14-day deadline for hotels to obtain commercial licences to broadcast DStv channels.
“We are happy that some hotel owners have complied by legalising their subscriptions. However, we urge those who have not complied to do so,” Oghuma said.
Last year, the NCC launched an amnesty campaign to create awareness on broadcast piracy.
Oghuma disclosed that the campaign will move to the second phase which will involve the copyright audit of outlets using DStv in public and sanctioning infringement.
MultiChoice and the NCC are jointly batting cable piracy, re-broadcasting piracy, commercial piracy and circumvention piracy.
Commercial users who wish to obtain a commercial licence are advised to visit the nearest DStv office or DStv agent’s outlet.
