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NCC Raids Facility, Arrests Three

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Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) has arrested a Hong Kong citizen and two others allegedly in the act of pirating the works of Nigerian and foreign artistes in a nocturnal anti-piracy raid on Akina Music International Limited.
Mr. Sook Allen, the Hong Kong citizen has since been granted bail following the seizure of his international passport by a federal high court in Ikeja.
A press statement by Vincent Oyefeso, assistant chief public affairs officer, NCC, stated that copyright inspectors comprised of  the Commission’s personnel and armed mobile policemen at midnight, swooped on the premises of Akina unannounced, but encountered a barricade for a while during which workers frantically evacuated,.
On gaining entry, the inspectors found that three out of the four installed replicating lines were running and a good search of the premises revealed stowed-away, freshly produced suspected pirated products and stampers, which were consequently confiscated.
The impounded products were mainly musical and movies on compact discs and video compact discs. Among the confiscated products were the works of D-Banj, Darey, Ikechukwu and several others.                                                                                       
NCC says it would soon charge and prosecute the company “for piracy of copyright protected works.”
Adebambo Adewopo, director-general of NCC, said the Commission would soon apply appropriate sanctions as prescribed by law against the infringing plant to serve as deterrence and a clear signal of its zero-tolerance against piracy, in line with the Commission’s Strategic Action against Piracy (STRAP) programme.
He disclosed that NCC recently responded to various complaints about optical discs piracy, and released the Optical Discs Regulations (ODR), to check the illegal replication of CDs, VCDs and DVDs, which has now brought it at loggerhead with the replicating plants.
The Copyright boss recalled that the Commission had in April 2007, in alliance with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), raided the same Akina plant during the day but found no evidence of piracy.
“This is the first night operation that the Commission has undertaken to address the nocturnal strategy for perpetuating piracy in the country,” he said, adding that the copyright industries should expect more of such surprise enforcement measures in line with STRAP.
A list of impounded products signed by both parties include over 20 stampers allegedly submitted by Akina’s clients for replicating protected works, 40 cartons of suspected pirated works, and 10 spindles of recorded works.
Adewopo has however, expressed concern that piracy has cost the creative industry a huge loss over the years and has become the bane of its growth, thus enjoining all stakeholders to be up in arms in the fight against intellectual property infringement.

 


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NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

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Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) has announced the postponement of its maiden annual Public Relations, Reputation, Ideas, Concepts and Excellence (PRICE) Awards and Prizes to January 25, 2026.

NIPR Postpones Maiden PRICE Awards to January 25, 2026

NIPR

The event, earlier scheduled for December 7, 2025, was deferred to accommodate stakeholders whose observance of Christmas festivities had commenced earlier than expected.

Chairman of the Organising Committee, Mr. Israel Opayemi, urged stakeholders to note the new date and prepare to participate in the ceremony.

He said the awards would motivate professionals, practitioners and scholars, while enhancing Nigeria’s global competitiveness in the public relations ecosystem and strengthening brand equity for all stakeholders.

Opayemi reaffirmed the Committee’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class award administration and ceremony, describing the PRICE Awards as a credible and enduring platform to identify, celebrate and elevate outstanding individuals, campaigns and organisations shaping the public relations landscape across sectors.

The development of the PRICE Awards peaked in September 2025 when the NIPR President and Chairman, Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku, inaugurated a 12-man committee to organise the maiden edition. The inauguration followed the Council’s adoption of the report of a technical team tasked with establishing the awards.


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Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

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Netflix has announced a landmark agreement to acquire Warner Bros. and HBO Max in a transaction valued at $82.7 billion, a move analysts say will reshape the global entertainment industry.

Netflix Seals $82.7bn Deal to Acquire Warner Bros., HBO Max

Netflix

The deal, which includes Warner Bros.’ film and television studios, HBO, HBO Max, and Warner Bros. Games, was unanimously approved by the boards of both companies. Under the terms, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) shareholders will receive $23.25 in cash and $4.50 in Netflix shares for each WBD share.

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos described the acquisition as “a defining moment” for the streaming giant, noting that the company intends to maintain Warner Bros.’ current operations while expanding its production capacity.

“By combining Warner Bros.’ incredible library of shows and movies with Netflix’s culture-defining titles, we can give audiences more of what they love and help define the next century of storytelling,” Sarandos said.

The transaction is expected to close within 12 to 18 months, following the planned spin-off of WBD’s TV networks division, Discovery Global, in 2026. Netflix projects annual cost savings of $2–3 billion by the third year after completion and expects the deal to be accretive to earnings per share by year two.

Industry groups, including the Directors Guild of America and Cinema United, have raised concerns about the impact on movie theaters, while regulators are expected to scrutinize the deal over antitrust issues. Netflix has pledged to continue supporting theatrical releases, with Warner Bros.’ cinema commitments running through 2029.

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav hailed the agreement, saying it “combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love.”

Observers note that the acquisition comes 15 years after former Time Warner chief Jeff Bewkes dismissed Netflix as “the Albanian army,” underscoring the dramatic shift in the entertainment landscape.


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It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

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A major shake‑up rocks viewers and subscribers of DSTV/GOTV as many channels are set to shut down and be removed on January 1, 2026.

It is Official, DStv Confirms Termination of 16 Major Channels

The trigger for the upcoming shut‑down is a breakdown in negotiations between the owners of multiple global channels and the pay‑TV operator.

As of December 2025, the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and DStv/GOtv has expired and the two parties have not reached a renewal agreement.

Without a new carriage/distribution agreement, the channels belonging to WBD risk being pulled off the DStv/GOtv line‑up.

This is the most significant content cutback the service has seen in years.

The affected channels are:

Discovery Channel

TLC

Cartoonito

Cartoon Network

CNN International

Food Network

The Travel Channel

TNT

Investigation Discovery

Real Time

HGTV

Discovery Family


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