by Thinus Ferreira
Canal+'s MultiChoice Nigeria has welcomed a reaffirmed directive it has long lobbied for from Nigeria's regulator, under which rivals are not allowed to pirate and infringe copyright by grabbing and retransmitting TV channels from competitors without permission and contracts.
Over the last couple of years Nigeria has been rife with channel-hijacking, where pay-TV upstarts would simply take TV channels broadcast primarily by MultiChoice Nigeria's DStv and add it for periods to their own channel line-ups with authorisation or channel carriage agreements.
Especially during major sports tournaments, operators would pirate MultiChoice Nigeria's SuperSport content and shamelessly retransmit and piggyback these channels and premium sports events without approval and without payment.
MultiChoice has now welcomed a directive by Nigeria's National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) that reaffirms the country's regulations regarding the retransmission of audiovisual content in Nigeria.
Issued on 2 November, the NBC reaffirms that simply because an operator or broadcaster has access to another broadcaster or operator's signal or TV channels, it does not automatically grant an operator the right to retransmit or to commercially redistribute that content without agreement and payment.
Operators must get the necessary rights and authorisations before retransmitting protected content, with the NBC warning that unauthorised retransmission constitutes a violation of intellectual property rights.
Kemi Omotosho, MultiChoice Nigeria CEO, says the NBC's clarification and reaffirmation of the directive is important for the protection of content creators and content rights holders and promotes a more orderly and sustainable broadcasting market in Nigeria.
"A clear and predictable regulatory framework benefits the entire creative ecosystem, supporting investment in local content and creating long-term value for creators, rights-holders, operators and audiences alike," Kemi Omotosho says.
According to Kemi Omotosho, the NBC directive gives important regulatory guidance for Nigeria's broadcasting industry, reinforces the need to respect intellectual property rights, promote fair competition and ensure a level playing field for legitimate pay-operators.
MultiChoice Nigeria says it will continue to work with regulators and industry stakeholders to promote legitimate content distribution and to strengthen the long-term sustainability of the West African country's audiovisual sector.
