EXAMINING THE ADEQUACY OF THE NIGERIAN COPYRIGHT ACT ON SOFTWARE PIRACY

Abstract

Software piracy is an emerging menace in Nigeria, prompting scrutiny of the effectiveness of the Nigerian Copyright Act of 2022 in safeguarding literary works against infringement. This study critically evaluates the adequacy of the Nigerian Copyright Act by analyzing its provisions in comparison with international legal standards. This research adopts the doctrinal methodology, and relies on primary and secondary sources of law. The research finds that while the Act provides certain protections for software, it lacks provisions necessary to adequately address the complexities associated with software piracy. This research finds deficiencies in enforcement mechanisms, penalties, and exceptions. It further finds that the Act does not sufficiently address modern challenges such as online piracy, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence hence it recommends strengthening enforcement measures, enhancing public awareness, and imposing stricter penalties for piracy-related offenses and some of the measures to curb software piracy. The research concludes that significant amendments to the Nigerian Copyright Act are imperative to effectively combat software piracy.

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Resource ID

urn:uuid:5965ea12-9149-40be-ab7b-82a259d31d47