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HOW PIRACY HAS AFFECTED NOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY.
Piracy is definitely a massive problem in Africa’s largest economy. The World Bank estimates that for every legitimate copy of a film sold, nine more are pirated. The brazen impunity with which many of these pirate kingpins operate makes them more powerful than the heavyweights within the movie industry itself.Piracy has gulped up an alarmingly huge amount of profits since the industry took off in the early 2000s.
In 2015, popular Nigerian actor and award winning producer, Kunle Afolayan, discovered first-hand the severe impact piracy can have on revenue. When visiting South Africa, a friend notified the 42-year-old his latest film, October 1, had been pirated and was being sold on Lagos streets at $3 a copy. A devastated Kunle knew his dark psychological thriller was yet to recoup the $2 million he invested in the project. He immediately called “some important people,” the filmmaker told PM News Nigeria, asking them to do something about it. But no luck. Local law enforcement responding to his complaints was threatened when they tried to confiscate illegal copies of the film.
“I believe the NCC know these kingpins behind the nonsense,” says Kunle assuredly. “They’ve held meetings with these pirates to resolve issues. Can you believe that a body that is supposed to be the police of the creative industry is now negotiating with the pirates?” Personally, Kunle feels the NCC is “full of excuses” often complaining they don’t have the resources to investigate claims of piracy or carry out raids. And even if they do carry out an intermittent raid, “you will see the films right back on the streets again.”
Shortly after, the filmmaker threatened to leave Nigeria for good, lamenting that legitimate businesses would never be able to thrive due to the activities of pirates. “You can imagine having about 500 people simultaneously selling a pirated film on the streets of Lagos. That’s what pirates have done to my film.
“We can’t continue like this.”
CREDIT : https://www.custostech.com/blogchain/towards-a-solution-for-nollywoods-massive-piracy-problem/
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4 Replies
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I really understand their pain but from my point of view I don’t think piracy can be totally eliminated from Nigeria because of the way the country is. Corruption has engulfed Nigeria and no sector is impervious to its negative effect.
The best hope they have is in the government who don’t give a damn about the movie industry.
At this moment the solution lies outside the intervention of the government but within the industry itself.
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@Samuel I disagree, I think anything can be eliminated in this country including piracy. See ehn… a time is coming when nation builders will hold all key positions in every sector, then, it will be uncomfortable for people with wrong or fraudulent intentions to stand our structures. Seems like a dream but we’ll get there.
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I get your point but like I said with the way the country is piracy will still be rampant and not that it can’t be eliminated. Even in well organized countries eg USA has to rely on Netflix so people don’t have to pay for each movie. So, all you need to do is to subscribe. No movie industry is impervious to piracy.
Though we have IrokoTV but we are not there yet.
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