Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Jonas Ozo
| NIPJD Citation | NIPJD/NG/FHC/2013/L-152C-13 |
| Document Type | Case Record |
| Court | Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division |
| Charge No. | FHC/L/152C/13 |
| Decision Date | 11 June 2013 |
| Jurisdiction | Nigeria |
| Area of Law | Copyright |
| Subject | Literary Piracy; Copyright Infringement |
| Status | Conviction |
| Source Reliability | Official Government Publication |
Case Summary
The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) prosecuted Jonas Ozo before the Federal High Court in Lagos for literary piracy. According to the NCC’s official list of convictions, Jonas Ozo was convicted in Suit No. FHC/L/152C/13 on 11 June 2013. He was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
Available Information
Based on the available official publication, the following information has been confirmed:
- Defendant: Jonas Ozo
- Prosecuting agency: Nigerian Copyright Commission
- Court: Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division
- Suit No.: FHC/L/152C/13
- Nature of offence: Literary piracy
- Decision date: 11 June 2013
- Outcome: Conviction
- Sentence: Three months’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
Why This Case Matters
Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Jonas Ozo is an example of the Nigerian Copyright Commission’s use of criminal proceedings to enforce copyright protection for literary works. The case is notable because the Federal High Court imposed a custodial sentence of three months without an option of fine. It therefore provides a useful point of comparison with other NCC copyright prosecutions in which defendants were permitted to pay a fine instead of serving a term of imprisonment.
The case also forms part of a group of literary-piracy prosecutions pursued by the NCC before the Federal High Court in Lagos in 2013.
Related Cases
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Awuru Chukwuma Abel, FHC/L/151C/13 — literary piracy; sentenced to three months’ imprisonment without an option of fine.
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Nwali Sunday, FHC/L/153C/13 — book piracy; convicted and fined ₦300.
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Ifeanyichukwu Nweke, FHC/L/158C/13 — literary piracy.
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Nwoke Isreal, FHC/L/159C/13 — literary piracy.
- Nigerian Copyright Commission v. Emmanuel Ogudu, FHC/L/181C/13 — literary piracy; sentenced to three months’ imprisonment or a ₦10,000 fine.
Sources
- Nigerian Copyright Commission – List of Convictions from 2011 — official NCC record confirming the defendant, suit number, offence, conviction, sentence, date and location.