THE COSON SONG AWARDS – FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6, EXPO HALL, EKO HOTEL & SUITES

Dress Code is “To Kill”. The Red Carpet ‘Fantastico’ will be on fire and paparazzi will be everywhere exploding flash bulbs as Nigeria’s glitterati assemble for the big show. The bloggers will be busy like never before with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Whassap and BB buzzing.

WHO WINS AT THE COSON SONG AWARDS AT EKO HOTEL ON NOVEMBER 6, 2015? THE COMPETITION IS TOUGH, REALY TOUGH. YOU CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE BY VOTING FOR THE SONG OF YOUR CHOICE FROM THE NOMINATED SONGS.

HOW TO VOTE:

GO TO THE LIST OF NOMIEES ON www.cosonng.com or at COSON WEEK page on facebook.

To vote for a song, you tweet #dcosonweek2015 CODE and Title of Song.

Example: To vote your choice for BEST SONG IN MELODY, You type #dcosonweek2015, CSAB1 Woju or,

#dcosonweek2015, CSAB1 Taste the Money or,

#dcosonweek2015, CSAB1 Aye or,

#dcosonweek2015, CSAB1 Megbele or,

#dcosonweek2015, CSAB1 You Garrit.

COSON STORMS THE BEACH 2015

COSON STORMS THE BEACH 2015

COSON In The Church

COSON Song Awards 2015

VICTOR OLADOKUN OF ‘TURNING POINT’ FAME TO HOST COSON IN THE CHURCH

Victor Oladokun, the face known around the world for his outstanding presentation over many years of the Christian Broadcast Network program, Turning Point, will be the host of COSON in the Church, the superlative national day of prayer and invocation to the Almighty featuring the most captivating gospel singers across Nigeria and the most respected ministers of the gospel.

The big red carpet show which holds on Sunday, November 1 will be beamed live to the world from the KICC Prayer Dome, Maryland Lagos. In attendance will be stars of all colours, business icons and political leaders from every spectrum.

According to Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Chief Tony Okoroji, the well-known master manager of extraordinary events, “Victor Oladokun who has a Doctorate Degree in Strategic Leadership has been chosen because he is the man for such a big show. He has the talent, the education and the experience and is looking forward to the big day. It is in similar vein that we chose the KICC Prayer Dome as our venue. No one has better facilities in Nigeria. They are top class. The Dome is about 30 seconds from the popular Ikorodu Road. Access to the venue is excellent.

COSON in the Church is the first of the seven massive events of the much talked about COSON WEEK which is expected to hold Lagos spell bound for seven days from November 1 to 7.

“We are leaving nothing to chance to ensure that COSON in the Church leaves deep memories in the minds of everyone with the opportunity to witness the historic event. The special invitation cards to the show will be in circulation in the coming days. The red carpet will be plush. People are coming from different parts of the world to be part of this event. As we get ready to produce a show of the highest international quality, our instruction to all our operatives is to leave no stone unturned to make COSON in the Church unforgettable”.

COSON STORMS THE BEACH

COSON WEEK: NOVEMBER 1 - 7

COSON UNVEILS ACTIVITY SCHEDULE FOR NOVEMBER 2015

Have you seen the new hot COSON Week Promo: See guys... See babes?!!!

OMG! WAITING FOR THE COSON WEEK!
Chief Tony Okoroji is the undisputed master of the big show in Nigeria. Whenever he calls, all the stars and glitterati, dressed to kill, come rushing, young and old! It is always a blast and the talk of the nation. The man who created and produced the famous Nigerian Music Awards that attracted presidents, governors, ministers, ambassador and stars from around the world remains in the groove.
When the COSON Week explodes in Lagos from November 1 to 7, you are guaranteed that the stars will be there in their thousands, the fashion will be hot, the entertainment will be unrivalled and flash bulbs will explode left, right and center. The sassy TV channels, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Whatsapp will be abuzz.
Two years ago, the COSON Week was a blast. The stars were there: actress, Jennifer Eliogu, Annie Macaulay Idibia, the Rugged Man and hundreds of others. Already, everyone is talking about COSON Week 2O15. November 1 to 7! Wow! An unforgettable experience is guaranteed when the master is in charge. Will you be there?

COSON WEEK ARE YOU READY 2015???

BREAKING NEWS!!! TRANSPORT COMPANY, BIG JOE, IN HOT SOUP AS COSON HITS IT WITH N500 MILLION COURT ACTION

In line with its recent promise to address the copyright infringement of musical works and sound recordings in the transport industry across Nigeria with its copyright enforcement initiative, ‘Operation No Hiding Place’, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings has filed a key copyright infringement action against Benin City based transport company, Big Joe Ventures Ltd. Also joined in the suit is Mr. Joseph Osayende, Managing Director of the company.

 

 

In suit No. FHC/B/CS/153/15 filed at the Federal High Court, Benin City on June 30, 2015, COSON is asking for a declaration that the act of the Big Joe Ventures and Joseph Osayende, without the authority or permission of COSON, in copying, communicating to the public and permitting to be performed in the commercial buses and bus stations owned or operated by Big Joe Motors, the various musical works and sound recordings belonging to the members, assignees and affiliates of COSON is an infringement of the rights of the Plaintiff as guaranteed by the Copyright Act (Cap 28, LFN 2004)

 

 

COSON has also asked the court for the award of 500 Million Naira in unpaid royalties and damages against Big Joe Ventures Ltd and Mr. Joseph Osayende for the unauthorized copying, communication to the public, permission to perform in public and infringement of the copyright in the musical works and sound recordings belonging to the members, affiliates and assignors of the Plaintiff.

 

 

COSON is also requesting a perpetual injunction restraining the Defendants, their agents, privies or servants from the unauthorized copying, communication to the public, permission to perform and infringement of the copyright in the musical works and sound recordings belonging to its members, affiliates and assignors.

 

 

Reacting to the development, COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji said, ‘Nigerian law is not a piece of artwork to be admired. It is made to be respected and obeyed by all. Nobody should feel sorry for anyone sued by COSON. For years, they have been reminded over and over again to act within the law. Some of them however believe that Nigeria is a place where there is no consequence for what you do so they treat the law with scorn. We assure them that they will find out that they are wrong. It is well known all over the world that you cannot deploy intellectual property belonging to someone else in your business without a licence. That is the linchpin of most strong economies in the world today but there are many in Nigeria who rake in millions from exploiting the works of creative people but show absolute contempt for the rights of the same creative people. We are committed to bringing that to an end’.

 

 

Speaking also on the action, the General Manager of COSON, Mr. Chinedu Chukwuji said, “Whatever we say at COSON, we will do. We have been speaking to the Nigerian transport industry for a long time. They are not above the law. We have exhausted all options and are left with no other choice but to take appropriate actions against those who will not listen to reason. Those who know COSON will tell them that Big Joe is just the beginning. Others will be caught by the web sooner than they think”

 

 

FOR COSON:

 

 

MAY UKET

COSON WEEK TO SHUT LAGOS DOWN IN NOVEMBER...

Come November 1, 2015, Lagos will be lit up for seven days in a myriad of colours as the unsurpassed spectacle of COSON Week 2015 is unleashed on Nigeria’s entertainment capital.

Nine months to the events, plans are already in top gear to ensure that each of the seven back-to-back events of COSON Week 2015 leaves Nigerian entertainment lovers with an unforgettable experience.

On the upcoming mega shows, Chief Tony Okoroji, Chairman, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole music copyright collective management organization which is making a lot of waves, says, “I give my word that from November 1 to 7, every event of COSON Week 2015 will be unforgettable. Everybody knows that at COSON, our word is our bond. There is no question that we are in a unique position to deliver unparalleled world class events. Think about it: Practically every major star shining in Nigerian music today is a member of COSON. We also have organizational and communications assets that no one else has. With respect to COSON Week 2015, we will deploy these assets to make Nigerians proud”

The celebrated former president of PMAN with a long standing reputation for creating and producing jaw-dropping shows says, “some people have expressed surprise that more than nine months to the shows, our fliers are already in circulation and we have begun burning the midnight oil. One of the keys to our success is that we are very detailed and professional. We take our time to plan and go through each plan over and over again. When it is time to execute, we are ready”    
   

According Chief Okoroji who is easily the best known advocate of intellectual property rights across Africa, “2015 has so far been a year of very tense political activities in Nigeria. People will likely remain tense through the May transition and beyond. With the activities of Boko Haram, the stress level in the country is unbelievable. We will use the events of COSON Week 2015 to significantly bring down the stress level in Nigeria. We will make our countrymen and women happy”

On what kind of support COSON needs to have a memorable COSON Week 2015, Okoroji says, “With the size of the different events we are planning and the significant cost, there is no doubt that we need strong sponsors and advertisers. We are creating unique platforms for those who are interested in the wide marketing of their products, brands or corporate identities and to engage the millions of entertainment lovers in Nigeria. The time for them to come on board is now so that they can have a long and rewarding ride with us on the never before witnessed communication onslaught that COSON Week 2015 will unleash. I guarantee that on every street in Lagos and every nook and cranny of Nigeria, the young and the old will feel the impact of COSON Week 2015”.

THE THINGS I HATE ABOUT COSON - AZEEZAT QUEENOFLOVE.

I hate it when my COSON phone rings. Yes, I have a COSON phone, an around 2k 'palasa' whose shrill sound can wake the dead. The phone was given to me because as a member of a key committee of the Board, the management needs to track me 24/7, so I am always on stand-by.

I have been strategizing on how to tell them to change the phone since, but for where? The thought of saying that to Bernice, COSON's Head of Finance/Admin is enough to keep me quiet and continue to manage the ‘pure water’ phone, even if everyone on the other end continues to say they don't hear me, and then I put it on speaker. My hope is that one day, the GM will get tired of not hearing me and change the phone himself.

Now you have laughed, abi? Laugh all you can. That is what we go through as Directors at Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the million-dollar-declaring Collective Management Organization (CMO) that everybody is talking about. Can you imagine?

That's why I laugh when I read stories about how COSON Directors are building houses everywhere and spending COSON money nyafun-nyafun. It's all so hilarious.

You would have expected COSON to give me at least one android Tekno as an official phone. No be so? But no! That is the kind of organization we run. Very stringent! There are so many protocols to ensure transparency and accountability. You cannot imagine how many people have to sign and counter-sign a voucher before you are refunded N5,000 of the N10,000 you spent doing COSON work. At COSON, every kobo must be counted and accounted for. I hear that some people even think that COSON is spending government money. Which government? Government has never given one penny to COSON. Ask anywhere.

So where was I? Yes, I said I hate my COSON phone ringing. It isn't just because of the shrill sound of the phone, it is also because of the nature of the job: COSON is in a hurry and you can be summoned at any time and given one very tough assignment and you have to do it. Don’t blame me if the stubborn part of me sometimes revolts. These people very well know that they don’t pay me a salary. Shouldn’t I have some time to earn a living?’ I thought I knew the COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji before I became a Director of COSON. Na lie, I did not know him. He is a perfectionist and demands perfection from everybody. He never stops working and thinks that everybody must be a workaholic like him. How I come enter this kind long thing?

I remember being called to pursue the collection of outstanding music copyright royalties at LTV8 (Lagos Television). LTV was like a home to me, if you know what I mean: I was always welcome. There was once that without a couple of hours at Feminar, the joint inside the LTV compound, my day was not done. From the gate o, to the receptionists, presenters/producers, Ogas dem, I was always given a warm welcome at LTV8.

Now it was this same LTV8 that I had to go to and chase the Permanent Secretary(PM) for music royalties. And guess who that PM was, the very admirable Lekan Ogunbanwo! There's more to this story o. The last time I saw Mr Ogunbanwo before the royalties issue, I had gone to appeal to him to grant free venue for a widows event that I was involved in, and he graciously did. So how thicker can this plot get?

Anyways I was sent on an errand, and errand I must go and deliver. First day I went, I was indeed able to look at him in the eyes after some wait and diplomatically ask "where is our money?" He calmly told me to come back the next week. Next week came and I was there but guess what, I was kept waiting for a long time at the reception downstairs, for the first time in my history with LTV. I couldn't believe it. Another one of my treasured goodwill bites the dust, ghen ghen!!

At COSON, there are no half measures. Nothing that can be done today must be postponed till tomorrow. The Chairman insists that the overriding interest at all times must be that of all the members and there must be no secrets in COSON. Everything must be placed on the table and discussed by everyone and known by everyone. Loong thing! So there are countless meetings. Everyone must know where every naira is coming from and where it is going to. I know how long it has taken for us to get something like COSON established and why the organization must be protected but it does become too much.

That's what working as a Director in COSON entails: your long-term built relationships and goodwill suffer, while trying to continuously build a million-dollar organization in which you have to argue over every kobo. But I hear that that's how strong long-lasting conglomerates are built: arguing over every kobo!

At COSON, rules are rules and there are no friends and no foes. I have had to sit at the opposite side of the table and argue vigorously with music/media greats like Baba 'Ke-ke' Kenny Ogungbe of Ray Power, Mr Larry Izamoje who owns Brila FM, Guy Murray Bruce of Silverbird, Senator Mike Ajeigbo who owns Minaj, Engineer Amin Moussali who owns Cool FM and Wazobia FM, Sony Irabor of Inspiration FM. I could give you a looong never-ending list of how I practically grew up in the hands of some of these people!! But when the matter involves COSON, you throw away your personal relationships out of the window.

But don't let me fool you with this image of a long-suffering human being in the service of Naija music homo-sapiens, Naaa. I love it! I love the fact that we have made history. At COSON, we have built the kind of professional organization that people said was impossible in Nigeria. I love to walk into the smart COSON office and see all those graduates working for Nigerian artistes. Because of COSON, everyone is now afraid of trampling on the rights of Nigerian artistes. I love the feeling of making a difference. I love that my opinion counts. I love looking at the faces of those old artistes/society members from the hinterlands, each time we have a COSON AGM and copyright royalties are being paid to thousands of artistes, I ask: Is this Nigeria?

Seeing how COSON works, I now know why PMAN has continued to fail. Boy, I love solving the problems of those old artistes. And I oh-so-love it when they pray for me. I like the feeling that all their prayers for me is in a bank in heaven, waiting for the day I'll need it. *wink*.

COSON SIGNS HISTORIC AGREEMENT WITH THE NIGERIAN BROADCAST INDUSTRY

In what could have once been described as impossible, Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) on May 21, 2014 at Eko Hotel& Suites, Lagos signed a historic music copyright royalty agreement with the entire broadcasting industry in Nigeria. It was celebrations galore at the star studded signing ceremony attended by the Director-General, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr. Emeka Mba; Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission, Mr. Afam Ezekude; Director-General, Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa who is also Chairman of the 400 member Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria, and several other top government officials.

 

The event brought to an end the prolonged disagreement between the music and broadcast industries in Nigeria spanning over 30 years which culminated in a major crisis in the last quarter of 2013.

  

It will be recalled that following the back-to-back and significantly publicized copyright infringement law suits filed by COSON against some of Nigeria’s topmost broadcasting stations in 2013, the stations under the aegis of Broadcasting Organizations of Nigeria (BON) and Independent Broadcasting Association of Nigeria (IBAN) announced the suspension of the broadcast of the music of nearly all the best known members of COSON on radio and TV stations across Nigeria. This resulted in massive public outcry across the country followed by an all-out media war between the music and broadcast industries.

In reaction, the NBC and NCC stepped in in an attempt to resolve the matter. This led to the setting up of the COSON/BON/IBAN/NBC/NCC Joint Committee. Under the auspices of the committee, comprehensive negotiations have gone on between COSON and broadcasting stations in Nigeria since the beginning of 2014.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the NBC DG, Mr. Emeka Mba who commended the Chairman of COSON, Chief Tony Okoroji for what he described as Chief Okoroji’s doggedness and commitment to the respect of Intellectual property rights in the Nigerian creative industry, said, " This historic event isn't

just about the Nigerian music industry but the creative industry at large. This is about the respect of intellectual property in Nigeria. Let us all see this as thebeginning of better things to come for the Nigerian creative industry. This goes to tell other sectors that have been abusing creativity that the time is up. "

COSON FILES N10 BILLION NAIRA SUIT AGAINST DOKPESI’S RAY POWER & AIT IN AFRICA’S BIGGEST COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT ACTION

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), Nigeria’s government approved collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings has filed a Ten Billion naira copyright infringement action against DAAR Communications Plc, Nigeria’s biggest privately owned broadcast network which operates stations such as Ray Power FM, Faaji FM and Africa Independent Television (AIT) scattered all over Nigeria. The suit No. FHC/L/CS/1392/13 filed on October 7, 2013 on behalf of COSON at the Federal High Court, Lagos by crack Intellectual Property lawyer, Mr. Justin Ige, is the biggest known copyright infringement action ever in the African continent.

In the action, COSON is asking for the sum of N724, 500, 000. 00 (Seven Hundred and Twenty Four Million, Five Hundred Thousand Naira) being amount due as royalties or license fees.

COSON is also asking for general and exemplary damages and a perpetual injunction restraining Ray Power FM, Faaji FM and Africa Independent Television (AIT) managed by Chief Raymond Dokpesi, their agents, privies or servants from further or other unauthorized copying, broadcast of musical works or sound recordings belonging to the members, affiliates and assignors of COSON and/or infringement of the copyright in the musical works or sound recordings belonging to the members, affiliates and assignors of COSON.

The historic action is clearly in fulfilment of the pledge made by COSON Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji in his ‘No Music Day’ speech on September 1, 2013 that in the copyright battle, there will be no sacred cow. Chief Okoroji had said, ‘COSON is determined to substantially increase the royalty distributable to stakeholders in the music industry to match the massive use of music in our nation. Last year, COSON was compelled to institute several law suits against some users of music and sound recordings in Nigeria. This was after every attempt at moral suasion had failed. COSON had to go to court as a last resort. As you know, the court actions were productive. It however appears that old habits die hard. Some of the users may have gone back to their old ways and not all have learnt the lesson that the days of free music are gone in Nigeria forever. Some may also be testing the resolve of COSON.

‘I therefore wish to make it clear that the resolve of COSON to protect the rights of music industry practitioners and to collect copyright royalties for the use of their music and sound recordings is rock solid. We will not waiver and there will be no sacred cows. Our commitment to the cause of defending the rights of music industry practitioners in Nigeria is unshaken and unshakable. Very soon, we will bring the full weight of the law on all those who have refused to learn that the times have changed. Let me assure you that our approach this time will be very different. I wish to state clearly that it is far cheaper to obtain a COSON licence for the music used by anyone than to engage COSON in an expensive law suit which that person is sure to lose because in this day and age, no court of law anywhere will enter a judgment to the effect that anyone can freely abuse the intellectual property of others’

Commenting on the development, COSON General Manager, Mr Chinedu Chukwuji said, ‘I don’t know why people have to wait until things come to a head like this. I guess the belief is that COSON is like some organizations that make noise without acting. At COSON, we are very professional. Our word is our bond. If we tell you that we will take action, we will take action and we will stay on the action till its logical conclusion. We have sworn to defend the rights of musicians and the music industry in Nigeria no matter what it takes. We have the law behind us; we have the musicians of Nigeria behind us; we have the international community behind us and we have God with us. Let it be known that we will not be intimidated by anyone’