Filmmaker Calls For Merger Against Piracy

A filmmaker, Denso Odukwe on Thursday called for the merging of distribution and marketing of films and music to strengthen the war against piracy.

Odukwe, who is also the Chief Executive Officer, Trade Stone Media (TSM), said in Lagos that such merger would give the operators strong financial muscle to operate.

“When they come together, the marketer and distributors will have the financial muscle to be able to open shops all over the country and abroad to distribute and market their products effectively,’’ he said.

The filmmaker said that film and music companies have to come together to combat piracy as neither side could do it alone.

“Combating piracy is a very tough job.

“When registered marketing and distribution companies merge and form distribution handlers, they can employ others that will monitor things.

“That way, they will be able to have more financial muscle to produce enough copies of CD’s and VCD’s that can go round,’’ he said.

Odukwe noted that big corporations have been able to combat piracy through merger acquisitions.

“Merging with people who matter in a business will go a long way to combat piracy,’’ he said.

He explained that every business has a form of piracy, whether in manufacturing, production or arts.

Odukwe, however, said that a marketer or distributor cannot have one office at Alaba International Market (AIM) and claim to be what he is and think he could do a good job.

“If someone in Sokoto and Maiduguri do not have internet to access music or film and want a CD because the copy is not readily available, one person could mass produce it.

“All these leads to piracy. We are talking about wider reach, networking of marketers and distributors.

“Since they are making money, let them invest in it,’’ the filmmaker said.

According to him, many of the marketers and distributors, over the years, have made big money.

“So you cannot expect government to come and give you money to invest in what you had made money from, it is not possible.

“Why can’t they plough the money they are making back into the business,’’ he said.

He suggested capital punishment for the pirates, adding that they were devils.

“They are milking us; stealing our intellectual properties; it is robbery.’’