What The FilmOne Entertainment Piracy Saga Says About The Present and Future of Copyright In The Nigerian Film Industry 

In an Instagram post, FilmOne Entertainment, Nigeria’s leading film distribution outfit, announced the arrest of a certain man who was alleged to have uploaded clips of one of the company’s films, Owambe Thieves, on TikTik using the moniker NaijaPrey TV and distributed pirated high-resolution digital versions of the film for a fee. The arrest was said to have been made by The Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex in Alagbon, Lagos, following a petition from FilmOne that was filed around August, 2025. Once again, this reminds us of the fragile state of Nollywood with the proliferation of piracy and copyright infringement.

Piracy is just as old as Nollywood. From the 90s to 2010s, in the pre-streaming era, it occurred as unlawful recording, reproduction, sale and distribution of films in video cassettes and DVD tapes by unscrupulous individuals and groups in physical markets. Several film producers and marketers kicked against it through numerous audiovisual campaigns, advertisement and physical arrests of offenders. With the arrival of the digital streaming era, piracy continues to persist but in a different dimension. Now, rather than tapes, piracy occurs in the form of unauthorized circulation of films on websites, social media forums like Telegram, WhatsApp, and X, and other digital avenues. It continues to remain a cankerworm, eating deep into the industry despite the existence of regulations to serve as deterrence.

The fight against piracy and copyright infringement is primarily and legally enshrined in the Copyright Act, Nigeria’s comprehensive legislation for the protection of creative works in general. Section 49 (2) of Copyright Act, 2022 criminalizes piracy, making it clear that anyone in violation of anti-piracy laws may be convicted to a fine of at least N500,000, imprisoned for a minimum three-year term or face both punishments. While the Act contains a lot of clauses and punitive measures to protect the interests of Nollywood filmmakers, it has more often than not thrived as documentation without translating into real consequences for the offenders.

Just about four months ago, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in association with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), proclaimed a ban on Moviebox via moviebox.ng, an illegal download platform that provides access to Nollywood films. No arrests were made, nor punishments meted. Not long after the supposed ban, alternative weblinks to access the platform surfaced, spiting the efforts of the regulators. Other sites such as 9jarocks and numerous Telegram channels have continued to operate freely, their owners seemingly untraceable.

This current incident draws attention to the need to bridge the gap between policy and implementation. As a law enforcement agency, the FCID is duty-bound to arrest suspected criminals, including pirates and others involved in intellectual theft, acting on credible information provided by Nollywood stakeholders. This action, at the very least, helps reinforce the faith of creatives in institutions meant to protect their interest. Beyond the arrest, the FCID and other concerned bodies must follow due process in prosecution, so that in the end the offender faces the full wrath of the law without compromise or an out-of-court settlement.

If this case turns out well, it will set a firm precedent for Nollywood and ensure the public takes the industry’s fight against such shenanigans seriously. But a single arrest cannot entirely put away a menace that has persisted for decades. Going forward, authorities must increase efforts on the clampdown of illegal download sites, and ensure to unveil the identities of persons behind them before applying the law on them.

Even in more structured film industries like Hollywood, piracy constitutes a threat. It spreads with a pace and alacrity that no law can entirely catch up with. A single Telegram upload can reach thousands before any action is taken to bring it down. At this rate, in Nollywood, it has become expedient to develop a form of technology and modern framework for tracking and foiling digital piracy. The FilmOne Entertainment incident involving the piracy of Owambe Thieves offers a glimpse of what is possible when government agencies, non-governmental bodies and Nollywood stakeholders unite for a common cause. Yet how the situation further unfolds is more important towards determining the future of the industry.