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22.06.2014 Celeb Law Court

There is Fraud in COSON......Orits Wiliki

By nathan nathaniel ekpo
There is Fraud in COSON......Orits Wiliki
22.06.2014 LISTEN

Veteran artiste and Chairman, Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria, Orits Wiliki, has lashed the authority of the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), who are claiming to be the sole body in charge of copyright in Nigeria.

According to Orits Wiliki, “We have certain cliques in the Nigeria Copyright Commission who have hijacked the business of copyright because they believe there is so much money in it. I know they will not get away with this. It might take some time but they will certainly not get away with this.”

The artiste stressed that there is no country that didn't fight the copyright war. Thereby accusing COSON of trying to grab what they can before everything comes to life.

“In America, they don't have one collecting society. Even in the UK and some other countries, they don't have one collecting society. You are short-changing the creative community if you say there should just be one collecting society,” he said.

Recall that in an exclusive interview with dancehall artiste, African China, by Nollywoodgists.com, accused COSON of not been faithful in the delivery of collected royalties for artistes, alleging that some members of COSON, especially Efe Omorogbe, was using their money to build houses.

Orits Wiliki noted that “This is the only pension we know. If one thing happens tomorrow and I cannot perform again, I don't have anywhere to run to. My pension is my copyright. Some people can front and make people assume that they are creative people, they are not. Somebody like Tony Okoroji, how many works does he have? When was the last time he performed? How many songs has he written all his life? I am so passionate about this because it hurts me badly. These are things that affect me directly in many ways.”

The Federal Government has ground rules. The law of the land is being misinterpreted to suit certain nerves, he added.

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