Owners of hotels, night clubs, restaurants and event venues in Imo State have to brace up for a possible confrontation with Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON), the nation’s sole Federal Government approved copyright collective management organization for musical works and sound recordings.

This is because COSON has commenced the full enforcement of the war against music copyright defaulters in Imo State as it spreads its nationwide battle titled ‘Operation No Hiding Place”.

A COSON delegation led by the Chairman, Chief Tony Okoroji was in Imo State for several days from February 20 to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the battle and no one who deploys music in a commercial or public space in Imo State escapes ‘Operation No Hiding Place’

Speaking at a meeting with the Hoteliers Association of Nigeria, Imo State, at Lobic Meridian Hotel Owerri on Wednesday, February 22, 2017, Chief Tony Okoroji described COSON as a very professional and socially responsible organization which believes strongly in dealing with issues first through dialogue.

He said that it was in that light that the delegation came to Imo State to engage the hotel owners and other key institutions with interest in music copyright.

Tony appealed to the hotel owners to respect the intellectual property rights of citizens by obtaining the appropriate copyright licence before deploying music in their operations. Chief Okoroji also said that it is far cheaper to obtain a COSON copyright licence than to be entangled in a very expensive copyright infringement law suit which COSON is sure to bring against any defaulting hotel.

Emphasizing the point, Chief Okoroji informed the hoteliers that immediately after addressing them, he would be on his way to Lagos so as to be at the Federal High Court the next morning for the trial in a N500 million copyright infringement law suit filed by COSON against a Lagos based hotel, Lagos Oriental Hotel.