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Monday 29 August 2016

COSON CALLS FOR DAY-LONG HUNGER STRIKE BY NIGERIAN MUSICIANS ON “NO MUSIC DAY”


COSON CALLS FOR DAY-LONG HUNGER STRIKE BY NIGERIAN MUSICIANS ON “NO MUSIC DAY”

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Nigeria’s sole approved collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings has called on its thousands of members across the country, other stakeholders in the music industry and lovers of music in Nigeria who are sympathetic to the plight of creative people ravaged by piracy and other forms of copyright infringement in Nigeria, to observe a one day Hunger Strike on Thursday, September 1, 2016 as Nigeria marks “No Music Day”

Making the call, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, “Creative people in Nigeria cannot afford to forget that historic week in 2009 when Nigerian artistes of different shades embarked on a weeklong hunger strike staged in front of the National Theatre in Lagos. The hunger strike which was a result of frustration caused by the devastating level of intellectual property theft in our country was the prelude to what has become known as “No Music Day” the day on September 1, 2009 that practitioners in the Nigerian music industry asked all the 400 licensed broadcast stations in the country not to broadcast music for a significant period of the day”.

Continuing, Chief Okoroji said, “In 2016, it has become imperative that we take appropriate action to remind the different governments in Nigeria that the disease which necessitated the hunger strike of 2009 has not quite been cured and that at this time of dwindling oil revenue, Nigeria must take important steps to protect its creative industries to ensure the socio-economic progress of our nation”.

As internet websites, telecommunication operators, telephone manufacturers, offline download speculators, etc. take hold as key channels for the distribution of music, COSON has decided that the theme of this year’s event would be “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space”.

Broadcast stations across Nigeria have been requested not to broadcast music between the hours of 8am and 10am on Thursday, September 1, 2016 as a mark of solidarity with the nation’s creative industries which have suffered immensely from the debilitating infringement of copyright. Rather than broadcast music, the stations have been asked to dedicate the 8 am to 10 am time belt to the broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and discussions that focus on the rights of creative people and the potential contributions of creative activities to the national economy. Newspapers and magazines across the country have also been requested to publish special features on these issues in the coming days.

The Nigerian public is requested to tune in to different domestic radio and television stations on September 1 to engage top COSON members, Intellectual Property lawyers, investors in the music industry and other music industry experts who will spread out to diverse broadcast stations to discuss “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space”.

On No Music day, flags at the COSON office in Lagos will fly at half-mast, the organization will issue an important statement on the state of the music industry while there will be an ‘open day’ for artistes, journalists and members of the public interested in the subject of Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space.


COSON GEARS UP FOR ‘NO MUSIC DAY 2016’


What you need to know

We believe you’d find the following answers helpful, as they clarify some of the misconceptions you may have concerning the #nomusicday2016.

Q: What exactly is this No Music Day?
A: “No Music Day” is a day the music industry has dedicated to bringing the attention of the nation to the widespread infringement of the rights of song writers, composers, performers, music publishers, record labels and other stakeholders in the music industry.

Q: Really? Since when did this start?
A: No Music Day started September 1, 2009. This edition of the No Music Day is the 8th edition. Hence the hash tags #nomusicday8 #nomusicday2016. It is held annually on the 1st day of September.

Q: Why is it COSON’s business? Who or What is COSON?
A: COSON is an acronym for Copyright Society of Nigeria. The need to close ranks, and have one formidable national collective management organization to promote and protect the copyright of practitioners in the Nigerian Music Industry, gave birth to COSON. COSON began in 2010 after approval according to Section 39 of the Nigerian Copyright Act ( CAP 28, LFN 2004)

Q: How can COSON ask a day to be a No Music Day, how?
A: COSON encourages Television and Radio networks not to broadcast music from 8am to 10am. As a show of support and to give people a tip of how a world without music will be.

Q: If there is no music for those hours, what then should be aired?
A: Rather than broadcast music, the stations have been asked to dedicate the 8 am to 10 am time belt to the broadcast of interviews, documentaries, debates and discussions that focus on the rights of creative people and the potential contributions of creative activities to the national economy.

Q: Is COSON not just speaking for herself?
A: COSON has the full support of the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition; a coalition of all the different association in the Nigerian Music Industry

Q: Are the print media exempted?
A: Newspapers and magazines across the country are also requested to publish special features on these issues in the coming days.

Q: Does the No Music Day 2016 have a theme?
A: Yes it does, it is themed “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space”.

Q: What is the COSON team saying about this No Music Day 2016?
A:
Chief Tony Okoroji (Renowned Copyright Activist and COSON Chairman)
“Every year, in marking ‘No Music Day’, our objective has been to engage the Nigerian people and the various governments on the potential contributions of Nigerian music to the socio-economic development of the Nigerian nation and the necessity to fully deploy the substantial comparative advantage which our nation possesses in this area so as to provide hundreds of thousands of well-paying jobs to the teeming masses of Nigerian youth who parade the streets of our country with little hope. I have no doubt that if the right environment is created in Nigeria, the enormous creative energy exhibited by our young people will be released to the amazement of the world”

Efe Omorogbe ( Song Writer and C.E.O Now Muzik)
“This coming September 1 will mark the eighth consecutive edition of No Music Day. We hope that everyone remembers that historic week in 2009 when for several days, a group of Nigerian artistes held huge rallies at the National Theatre in Lagos and went on a week-long hunger strike to protest the cruel abuse of the rights of artistes in Nigeria. For the first time in the history of mankind, the music industry in a country called for the halt of the broadcast of music all  over the country for a whole day, September 1, 2009. That action captured the imagination of the world and ‘No Music Day’ was born”.

Azeezat Allen (Songstress and Queen of Love)
“We are planning seriously to make No Music Day 2016 a memorable event. I hope that COSON and the Nigerian Music Industry Coalition will receive the support of everyone across Nigeria. Let us unleash the creative ingenuity of our people and create a better tomorrow for Nigeria’s children”.

Q: What is the public expected to do on that day?
A: The Nigerian public is requested to tune in to different domestic radio and television stations on September 1 to engage members and affiliates of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and other music industry experts who will spread out to diverse broadcast stations to discuss “The Monetization of Musical Content in the Digital Space”.

Q: What of those who love to engage on social media?
A: We are streaming different activities live on all our social media platforms namely; Facebook, Periscope, Snap Chat and Instagram.
You can also engage us via twitter.

Q: What are your social media handles:
A: Facebook: COSON Nigeria
     Periscope: COSON Nigeria
     Snap Chat: COSON NG
     Instagram: COSON Nigeria
     Twitter: @COSONNG

Q: In the event that a new question pops up, who do I contact?
A: Contact us. You can place a call through to us; 08174590253, 08174590249, 08174590255

You can also interact with us via any of our official social media accounts, listed above, or send us an email; info@cosonng.com.