Use Of SID Code Now Mandatory For Replicating Plants from June 2010

ABUJA, May 27, (THEWILL) - The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in its drive to check the incidence of optical disc piracy, has made it mandatory from 1st June 2010, for optical disc replicating plants and mastering facilitiesin Nigeria to inscribe appropriate Source Identification (SID) Codes on all optical disc products like CDs, VCDs and DVDs produced in the country.

Any optical disc product that does not bear an appropriate SID Code would from the set deadline be regarded as pirated and liable to confiscation in addition to the arrest and prosecution of persons dealing in such infringing products.

Director-General of Nigerian Copyright Commission, Adebambo Adewopo, who announced this at a Media Briefing stated that the security device was initiated as a further step in the implementation of the Commission’s Copyright (Optical Discs Plants) Regulations 2006 which was formally launched on April 4, 2007 on the platform of the Strategic Action Against Piracy (STRAP).

The Director-General who expressed concern at the national and international dimensions of optical disc piracy, assured that use of the SID code in Nigeria would serve as the Commission’s security tool for tracking of products emanating from registered plants. He added that it would also provide the plants with a means of identifying all discs mastered or replicated in any given optical disc plants or mastering facilities.

According to him, the SID Code facilitates the required plants signature or identification system by providing two types of codes, namely the Mastering (LBR - Laser Beam Recorder) Code that identifies the plant that manufactured the master stamper and the Mould Code which identifies the plant or mastering facility where a given optical disc is produced. Both codes, he added, consist of either four or five digits preceded by the letters “IFPI” inscribed at a radius of 7.5mm and 22mm from the centre of the disc.

He indicated that International Federation of Phonographic Industries (IFPI), an international organisation representing the recording industry worldwide, developed the SID code in 1994 as a mechanism for prevention of optical disc piracy by identifying the source of optical discs mastering and replication. He added that the Commission partnered with the IFPI in introducing the SID Code in Nigeria by obtaining block SID Codes which the Commission allocates to all registered replicating plants and mastering facilities in the country.

The NCC boss explained that pursuant to its powers under the Copyright Act and the Optical Discs Regulation, the Commission had in June 2009 prescribed the mandatory adoption of the SID Code by all registered plants and mastering facilities with a deadline initially set at December 31, 2009. “However, the Commission was requested to extend the deadline to 1st June 2010 to enable plants comply appropriately” he added.

The Director-General charged all registered plants and mastering facilities to abide by the requisite best practices of their regulated business environment, while resisting the temptation of compromising sound business practices in pursuit of illicit profit and high turnover.

He said the Commission would continue to count on the Optical Discs Replicators’ Association of Nigeria (ODRAN) in the implementation of its regulatory interventions, adding that the association deserved recognition for “its commitment in creating a congenial atmosphere for consultations in the renewed drive for making the implementation of the regulations more industry friendly and practicable.

The Director-General underscored that the decision to issue the Optical Disc Regulation derived from the realisation that Nigeria was rapidly acquiring capacity for domestic reproduction of copyright works in the optical media. He noted that from just about two plants known to be in operation in 2004, the country now has 13 registered optical disc replicating plants and four mastering facilities.

The 13 registered optical disc replicating plants in Nigeria are Media-Pro and Global Services Ltd.; Hope Rising Industries Ltd,; Nira Audio Visual Ltd.; Transerve Disc Technologies Ltd.; Magnet Integrated Ventures Ltd.; Nasinma Universal Studio Ltd.; Alfa Magnetics Industries Ltd.; Sky Media Production Tech. Ltd.; Ecomax Media Tech. Ltd.; CVL Technology Ltd.; Super Audio Industries Ltd.; and Chronotech Nigeria Company Ltd.

The registered optical disc mastering plants are MoorPark Industries Ltd.; InfoBright Master Technologies Nig. Ltd.; Innotech Independent Glass Masters Ltd.; and De Mastering Technology Services Ltd.

It is instructive to note that by the Copyright Law and Regulation, it is a criminal offence for any plant not registered by the Nigerian Copyright Commission to operate the business of optical disc replication and mastering in the country.