GEM & COSON PARTNER ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

GEM & COSON PARTNER ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AS NEW TOOL KIT IS DOMICLED AT COSON HOUSE

In a bid to properly educate and enlighten the Nigerian populace and the entertainment industry in particular, the Growth and Empowerment Project (GEM), funded by the World Bank and domiciled in the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, has just entered into a new partnership with Copyright Society of Nigeria, (COSON), Nigeria’s wave making collective management organization. In the partnership, GEM has domiciled at COSON House, a just developed tool kit for education in intellectual property with emphasis on copyright, aimed at ensuring a well-rounded, global understanding of the subject in Nigeria.

At a meeting held at the boardroom of COSON House, Ikeja, on Thursday August 9, 2018 during which the partnership was concluded, Mr. Bello Abba Yakasai, Cluster Manager, GEM Project, said that the initiative was borne out of the need to engender a culture of respect for intellectual property rights amongst practitioners in the industry and users of intellectual property in the country. This, he said appeared to have been difficult in the past, owing to the ambiguous nature of the subject.
Yakasai said “What we aim to achieve with this tool kit is to simplify the grey areas with respect to Intellectual Property so as to make it understandable by everyone. The IP manual, we are certain, will bring about a reorientation amongst everyone; be it the owners of the intellectual property or the end users”
The tool kit developed under the GEM project by Mr. John Asein, an internationally respected expert on copyright and a former Director of the Nigerian Copyright Institute will be formerly presented to the intellectual property community at a special event, “Let’s Talk Copyright” (LTC) which will hold at the COSON House Arena on September 1, 2018. Let’s Talk Copyright will be the climax of the 2018 No Music Day celebration.
As has been the practice over the last eight years, different representatives of COSON, in a Media Blitz, will simultaneously be at key broadcast stations across the country on September 1, the annual No Music Day, to discuss with Nigerians the intriguing subject of intellectual property which is shaping the new global economy.
After the Media Blitz, various artistes, performers, movie makers, broadcasters, legal practitioners and the media are expected to descend on COSON House for “Let’s Talk Copyright” (LTC) where the new Tool Kit will be unveiled by the creator, Mr. John Asein supported by officials of GEM and the World Bank.

According to Mr. Yakasai, the decision to partner with COSON on the project is in recognition of the unassailable impact that COSON has made across the continent with respect to intellectual property. In the words of Mr. Yakasai , “COSON, more than any other institution in Nigeria, has shown that it has the capacity to manage such an important resource and to put it to good use for the larger society”
Responding to Mr. Yakasai, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji thanked the GEM team for their continued confidence in COSON. He said that with COSON as custodian of the IP tool kit, GEM and its partner agencies can rest assured that the tools will be properly deployed and that the message will get to every stakeholder in the industry
In attendance at the meeting were the COSON General Manager, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji, Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Chibueze Moses Okereke and COSON Head of Legal, Ms. Simi Wash-Pam.
Also present at the meeting was the creator of the tool kit, Mr. John Assien, who is also Executive Secretary of Reprographic Rights Organization of Nigeria (REPRONIG) and other members of the GEM Project team which included Mr Ndubuisi Kanu, Assistant Cluster Manager and Mr. Johnson T. Akeredolu GEM Project Officer, Tourism and Hospitality.

Photo Caption: COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji, 4th left, surrounded by Mr. Bello Abba Yakasai , Cluster Manager, GEM Project, 4th right, Mr. John Assien, Chairman REPRONIG, immediate left, Mr Ndubusi Kanu, Asst. Cluster Manager, GEM Project, 2nd right and Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji, GM/CEO COSON,right.
L-R - Mr. Chibueze Moses Okereke, Head Public Affairs, COSON, Mr. Johnson T. Akeredolu, Project Officer, Tourism and Hospitality GEM Project and Ms. Simi Wash-Pam, COSON Legal Counsel.

UPDATE ON RAS KIMONO

COSON FLOODED WITH CONDOLENCE MESSAGES ON RAS KIMONO

Its been 3 days since the passing on of the great reggae iconic legend Ras Kimono, many have not been able to get over the shock and pain. Eever since that day COSON House, the headquarters of Copyright Society of Nigeria in Ikeja has been flooded with condolence messages from family, friends, fans and all lovers of quality music. There have been so many entries in the condolence register opened at COSON House, with flags flying at half-mast.

Amongst the many recent messages received by COSON is that of the Honorable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Geoffrey Onyeama who described his death as ‘A very sad loss for the country’.
It will be recalled that Kimono was in the delegation of the COSON Board which was in Abuja in January to confer Mr Onyeama with the Copyright Medal of Honour, which he showed great appreciation for.
Ras Kimono during his lifetime was an unwavering member of COSON and a dedicated activist with respect to the independence and survival of the Nigerian musician.
COSON has said that Kimono will be buried like the big star that he was and that his legacy will not be allowed to die

A quick throwback: Ras Kimono
On May 10, 2018, a day after Ras Kimono's 60th birthday, thousands of COSON members from around the country gathered at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos for the Annual General Meeting.
During the AGM, the icon Ras Kimono was celebrated and a cake cut to celebrate the reggae toaster at 60.
The news of his sudden demise on June 10, 2018 exactly a month after hit us hard. We really haven't come to terms with it yet.
COSON has promised that Ras Kimono will be buried like a big star that he was... His legacy will forever live on.
We encourage all COSON members to keep praying for the family...
May God's strength continually be upon them.

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Chief Tony Okoroji Talks About Ras Kimono

How much do you care about the people around you? Is a very big question that some still can't find an answer to.
What is your relationship with them? Is another one that others can't define.

It is said that we don't know those that loves us, we only care about the ones we love, and you don't know how important it is, till you lose it.

It is a great shock and pain to everyone at Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), to the friends, fans, family and the entire nation on the passing on of a music legend and icon Okwudili ‘Ras Kimono Onwubuya Elumelu.

Many of us never had the time to personally reach out to this music legend and icon. We give glory to God because he lived a life worth emulating.

Here is what the Chairman/President of Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji said.

"I am still in rude shock, says Okoroji"

When the news of the sudden demise of Okwudili ‘Ras Kimono Onwubuya Elumelu hit the Nigerian airwaves like a thunderbolt during a torrential rainfall, so many disregarded this castatrophy as mere rumours as it is has been the case for many of his kind in time past.
But it became an undeniable fact when indeed throng of the decease’s friends and associated visited the Lagoon Hospital in the upscale area of Ikoyi to see and pay their due respect to the Rhumba Style crooner. When interviewed by press men, Sir Shina Peters (SSP) described the late hit maker as ‘the best thing ever to happen to the music industry’ and so it really is, as the reggae icon as constantly remained as one of the few living legends of the musical revolution of the 90s.

His profundity on stage, his affableness with all and classical artistry has been the weapon of his relevance ever since his debut entry onto the Nigerian musical scene since the 90s till 10th June 2018 when he took the last bow.
According to Chief Tony Okoroji who once held the helms of affairs at Performing Musician Society of Nigeria (PMAN), and currently the Chairman of the vibrant Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) in a statement made available to the public, he described the late Ras Kimono as not just’ being a great musician but a fantastic person, this is absolutely devastating’, he said.

Since the ill-fated news broke out, the Nigerian media terrain has been awashed with myriad of tributes to the maestro. The death no doubt is a great loss to the entire music industry in Nigeria and an irreplacable loss to the Rastafarian followership worldwide.
He will be greatly missed.

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