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.

ALEXA: IDEAS FROM MY INSPIRATORS.

After trying all I could by myself and unable to get anywhere. I decided to seek for advise, which is the only and best option unless I want to see my ancestors before time. So I reached out to my mentors and my great source of inspiration.....you will not believe all I got from them. Here's what I took from them.

The first person that responded to my call is Maxwell Ivey Jr. who is a writer, blogger, an influencer and a podcaster. He is one of my greatest source of inspiration. He said to me that he think things would be easier on me and the rest of us if we didn’t have some people out there appearing to do it all and making it look easy. That I should be kind to myself and do what I want most or what I need most first. I am a special person. He have heard my music, so I shouldn't doubt it. What would I love to change about my job that would make it more enjoyable in the short term? Perhaps I and my supervisor or employer could talk about this. Though not every boss is willing to change or amend their policies but some are. Until I get there, I  should know that he will always be there for me. That only gave me the courage to face one of my biggest fear, which is doubt.

While I was trying to redefine my path, here comes another woman I admire so much and here's her advise.....
Her name is Renee Radicioni Pavlus   she said there are lot of people going through the same thing out there. That my story is like sounds like a lot of people’s story. She continued, the problem is, we think of all these things in our brain and minds, some of us look at the positive outcomes, and some of us look at their possibilities. I myself have spun around many times with 20 fingers in 20 pies, accomplishing very little, regretting, getting frustrated, and wondering why why why?
Well, recently I’ve had to learn that I needed to focus my point down, maybe taking on two challenges instead of 20. Maybe working out a plan, or maybe finding people to help me make this plan happen. No they might not be great things, but perhaps even little things are is important. It’s kind of like building our arsenal of talents, gifts, skills. It’s so easy to dream, Hope, plan ahead, but if we don’t define our Voice, purpose, or understand our reality good and bad, nothing will happen, absolutely nothing. I am a testimony to this, you know, having a spirit of willingness, having capabilities, or knowing that to accomplish certain things we need the help of others is part of our learning and growing experience.
So I am simplifying, I mean in the way and the tasks that I will take on and I’m also allowing myself to try to be a little more patient, or allowing for pitfalls, or in possibilities which often happens when you don’t see or when you need help learning new skills, or when you need help just progressing. Don’t be ashamed of asking for help, but choose the people you ask help from very wisely. Many people mean well, but when it comes down to actually achieving, accomplishing, and doing that either back off, try to help with some confusion, or get at flustered as we may be.
So, having said all this, baby steps, organized baby steps, looking and examining how you can achieve these baby steps, and looking at the barriers towards achieving them Chyna, working through each barrier one at a time. We feel so much better when we have achieved something, we feel so much better when we allow ourselves to ask for help in the kindest way possible, but do it in a realistic honest way, and don’t make your expectations too high, because that can also sabotage your progress, I know this, first hand.

I couldn't help it but pick my broken pieces, put it all together and solve the puzzle the world have created for me. I realized that I have to take it one stop at a time and to ask for help from the right people, not acting like I know it all.

Yes I remember, of all the multiple choices in my head and things to do, DeAnna Lynn Rice asked me to pick one, the ones that speaks most, and you go with it. and Evelyn Faix   said she is like that too but I have to start with one first and she suggested that the music lessons can be taken from an online website called musicvi.com. It’s music for the busily impaired I can buy the courses and they are very good I can also get them from the MLS Talking Books location for free computer classes you should go to Lighthouse.

Lastly Edwin Polini said I should only keep my eyes on JesusChrist who is the author and finisher of our faith.

From all these, I come to a conclusion that for one to stop existing and start live he or she needs to

• DECIDE
• CHOOSE
• ACT
• ASK
• FOCUS
• BELIEVE
• HAVE FAITH

The you'll find your way to success as you have a direction now

Thanks for the help......

ALEXA: I NEED HELP

I want to increase my computer knowledge. I need a better job that will allow me do other things. I want to learn sewing. I need another apartment. I need to enrol in a music class... I need this, I need that, I want to do this, I want to do that. Too many things to do with little or no assistance....

How many can I achieve all by myself? How do I go about achieving all these. I've learnt something about myself...... I hardly get help from people, I always have to do it all by myself.

I wish families are there to assist, it would have been so easy and nice. I just need help, I need helping hands. Who do I run to apart from myself? Its just like I have everyone around me and still have to fix it all by myself. I need a job to help push my ministry, but its just a side hustle. I don't know what to do or who to run to. I need help so so so bad. I don't want to regret coming back here. The pressure is too much.

Seven good years, just like seven days, I've had to much experience for something to start taking place, I've tried all my very best to walk and run. I've fallen and risen, been hurt and healed, I've starved, been broken, weak, bullied, abused but I pick my broken piece and comfort myself.

Just me, myself and I. I've cried rivers and seen desert. Family made me feels like I picked the wrong choice. I've been promised and failed. I was hated and beaten blue black, my body have been bruised, flogged with broom and all sort of weeps, my hair have been pulled and dragged to the ground.

My relationship is not the way I want it to be so I have to make it work. I have no choice but to love above all. I need an answer to these few prayers of mine. I don't know where I'm heading to, I need a direction. the way is too narrow and full of thorns of all kinds.

My head hurts with so much thoughts, my eyes hurt with too much tears, huuummmm...... no amount of secret tears can help the situation.

O God, I just don't know how to express myself to you, use me as an evidence of change in my generation.....

Who's out there.....somebody....... anybody........I NEED HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!