Digital Rights Management System and Administration: A Wake-up Call for Nigeria!

Abstract

Abstract The advent of the digital milieu and the explosion of the internet has made access, use, modification or duplication of original work easy. Physical reproductions have been replaced by digital reproduction, which has become much easier as well as cost-effective. The increased use of digital technology and online activities pose a serious threat to the cardinal objective of copyright protection. To counter these threats, measures have been developed technologically to make digital works difficult to copy, distribute and access without the necessary permission. These measures are covered under the heading of Digital Rights Management (DRM). Traditional copyright laws did not contemplate these threats and does not make provision to tackle them. Several countries have amended their copyright laws to address the threats posed by digital advancement. In this context, Nigeria has a draft (amendment) bill, 2015, which is before its national assembly. This paper calls for the swift passage of the bill to enable Nigeria to effectively provide for a legal framework to counter the threats posed by these digital advancements.