Comedian turned movie producer, Ayo
Makun who produced the recent popular movie, "30 Days in Atlanta", which is
Nigeria’s highest grossing cinema movie of all time, has been pirated.
Omoh!!! The pirates are now even selling copies of the movie on the
streets of Lagos. Below is his open letter to IGP.
Read Letter After the cut:-
Dear sir,
It is with the deepest sorrow that I pen these words. I have
never understood the true meaning of the saying “only the one wearing the shoes
feels the pain”, till recent times. Since the advent of Independent Producers,
piracy has become the bane of the industry because as the saying goes ‘monkey
de work, baboon de chop’.
The excitement that greeted the movie industry through the
Box-Office success of 30 Days In Atlanta has quickly turned to sorrowful awe as
I heard the news that the result of my sweat and sleepless nights has been sold
by a traitorous miscreant, yet unknown, to a dubious marketer in Alaba.
The news that would have made not just more Nigerians but
also foreigners invest in Nollywood, has been dampened by the nefarious
activities of intellectual pirates who hide in Alaba.
I have contacted Silverbird Film Distribution (whom I
submitted the master of my movie to), Mr Afam Ezekude DG National Copyright
Commission and Mr Ahbu Ventures who heads a session of Alaba where the
Criminals are operating, Yet nothing visible has been done to take my movie off
the street.
I have always heard of the risk faced by honest producers of
loss of revenue due the activities of the incessant piracy cabals operating
freely, without fear of the law in Nigeria and within the past few weeks, this
has been my experience as I heard of the leak of my movie to various nefarious
elements.
Enough is enough of the economic hardship that is created
for hardworking movie producers by some of these Alaba pirates who would do anything
to reap from where they did not sow.
Sir, it has been argued that the impressive figures posted
as revenue accrued to Nollywood are a mere drop in the ocean if the malaise of
piracy is properly nipped by the effective implementation of the anti-piracy
laws by the relevant governmental agencies.
Alaba is part of Nigeria and as such the activities therein
ought to be governed by the laws of Nigeria.
Even the laudable financial facilities made available by Mr
President to be accessed by producers towards the development of the industry
both as an employer of labour and a growing contributor to the annual revenue
of Nigeria will be for naught if the piracy vampires continue to have a field
day.
The continued dominance of piracy will either lead to producers
refusing to make more movies for fear of loss or that producers who go ahead to
make movies using such funds will then be forced to become indigents because
they will unable to pay back the loans accessed due to these vandals.
Sir, Nollywood is a multi-billion-naira industry and the
opening of new cinema houses across the country is indeed cause for the
celebration for both producers and lovers of Nigerian movies but the major
challenges of the Nollywood industry from its birth till date has been the
issue of transparent distribution channels and the malaise of piracy.
No more should a miscreant be celebrated or allowed to rape
intellectual properties of honest hardworking citizens with impunity while the
owners of the property impotently look on.
No more should movie producers and other intellectual
property owners scrabble to quickly make the little they can before ‘Alaba
boys’ get their hands on the content and turn a goldmine into a dunghill.
I urge you to use your good office to use your actions in
arresting the illegal spread of 30 Days In Atlanta as a standard for changing
the status quo and letting the miscreants know that no one is above the laws of
Nigeria.
I wait your intervention sir.
Thanks
AY.
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