Performers' Rights Under the Nigerian Copyright Act: An Appraisal of the Rome Convention

Abstract

The birth and development of performers’ rights was initially witnessed in the twentieth century. Domestic legislations and international conventions were drafted and implemented in various countries and in the international community. Nigeria has followed a similar trend in the development of performers’ rights by including in its domestic laws, provisions protecting performers’ rights. Nigeria is also a party to the Rome Convention providing for the protection of related rights. However, there are still gaps in the laws regarding these rights. There are issues relating to performers’ rights that have not been given consideration under the Act. The need for a broader system of protection has become imminent due to the rapid development of technology, the growing entertainment industry in Nigeria and the volume of unprotected performances based on expressions of folklore. While the extent to which performers have been protected under the Act should be appreciated, more should be done. One of such things is the implementation of the Rome Convention and the ratification of other treaties on performers’ rights. This paper explores the protection of performers’ rights under the Nigerian Copyright Act and International Conventions.