COPYRIGHT AND BOOK PIRACY: THE NIGERIAN EXPERIENCE

Abstract

Copyright protects the moral and economic rights of authors/publishers from undue exploitation. A nation in which Copyright materials are effectively protected by copyright is on the right direction towards developing its national culture for further development. Piracy on the other hand is a disincentive to intellectual creativity and productivity and may lead to the collapse of the book industry. This paper discusses the concept of copyright and piracy; copyright ownership; exclusive rights of copyright owners;copyright violations through piracy and causes of piracy. It examines the question of enforcement. Recommendations were made to strengthen copyright machinery and deal with copyright violations in Nigeria.