ME, MY GROUP AND I (PART 2)

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

ME, MY GROUP AND I (PART 2)

A little while ago, we started talking about the business of musical groups/bands/duos and we discussed the merits of forming a profit making association to make things professional, satisfactory and generally tidy. Among the things we identified as important to note in a Shareholders' Agreement, we singled out the issue of a group's name as deserving of its own entry because of its pivotal role as the money making tool of the group.

Now, I won't begin to explain the importance of a good name. Forget that it's better than riches, here, it is the riches. You will not believe the pains people go through in naming their business. Everyone knows that a good name is it. It has to sound right. It has to hit you and not get lost in the crowd out there. It must stand out. Personally, I understand when I hear seemingly sane people call their businesses names like 'Coco-Bracada-Merlina'. I mean, diss it all you want, but you don't forget a name like that easily. It usually gets your attention and keeps it. As the brand behind the success and the cash, the group’s name is so important. It is the brand that draws crowds at a show. It is what makes fans buy a CD or merchandise. It is everything in any business, and more so in music business.

Now, imagine the situation of Coco-Bracada, a hypothetical group of four girls (Lily, Rose, Hibiscus and Cactus). They've become so popular even the President dances to their songs. Then, one bright, flowery morning, Hibiscus decides that Rose is too proud and Cactus is too prickly and temperamental and that she does not want to have anything to do with them. So, she and gentle girl Lily form a new group and call it Coco-Bracada, hoping to use the already established name/brand to the advantage of their new group.

Or another situation: Cactus decides that she was the one that came up with such a wonderful successful name which was given to her in a dream. And so, she wants a larger share of the profits earned from the name, even though all she does is back up the lead vocalist.

These are just two of many squabbles which can arise with regards to a name if care is not taken. Still working with that Shareholders' Agreement we started last time, here are a few tips:

1. The agreement should transfer the ownership of the group's name/brand to the company, who as we mentioned before is a separate person under the law. Nothing stops the group members from agreeing that they all own the name. However, a neat and wise way to tidy it is to make the company the brand-owner.

2. The agreement should specify very clearly what happens when one of the members want to leave the group. The best thing to do would be to agree that when such a situation arises, the leaving member will forfeit all rights to the use of the name without the consent of the company. There should be a fair clause that allows the leaving member's interest to be bought out.

3. The shareholders' agreement may make a leaving member entitled to the profits that are derived from the name up to the point when he/she leaves; after all, he/she helped to make that particular money.

4. In a situation where one of the members came up with the group's name, then it may be best to compensate him/her for the 'inspiration'. It should be deemed that this member absolutely sold/assigned the name/brand to the company and compensation should be agreed upon. Lest he/she starts demanding for a greater share of profits.

5. As soon as a name is determined, it becomes a veritable brand deserving of trade/service registration. Even though there is some level of protection for unregistered brands, it's better, in the long run for the name/brand to be registered.

Obviously, I can't tell you everything, but I have tried to help you watch your back.

Merry Christmas. See you in January 2011.

© 2010 Tinukemi Alabi
Comments/Questions: tinukemi@gmail.com

ME, MY GROUP AND I

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

ME, MY GROUP AND I

I received a new name recently- Rocker of Boat. The person officiating at my naming ceremony accused me, very politely of course, of rocking the boat. The system in place is working for everyone involved, he says, why spoil things with my ‘well-meaning advice’? I received the name with equanimity. I had a question he couldn’t answer, though; can a steady boat be rocked?

In any case, here I come again, a-rocking, and the boat we’re targeting today is the one carrying musical groups/bands/duos. As long as you are singing and you’re more than one person, I’m talking about you. I get personally miffed when the members of talented groups go their separate ways. There’s a whole laundry list of reasons why groups split up, personal, and business (remember the story of Lagos Boys way back on this blog? You can look it up in one of the older posts). Now, I won’t pretend to be a shrink and find a way to solve the personal issues. However, as it relates to the issues concerning the entertainment business/career, I have a thing or two to say.

If you’re in a band, or you are thinking of forming or joining one, please, consider the merits of forming a profit-making association between the group members. This could be a partnership or a company. It will ensure that the musical career is not just for personal fulfilment but also for financial consideration. However, while a partnership will do a good job of keeping things tidy, a company may be a better option because it is a separate person under the law and it limits the personal liability of group members.

Either way you decide to go, you would need an agreement between the group members. This is even more so in the case of a partnership because it is a delicate association that is prone to dissolution if things go wrong. If you are considering a partnership, this would be a Partnership Agreement and if you prefer a company, you may thoroughly spell out your terms in the company’s Article of Association or a Shareholders’ Agreement.

Now, anyone can form a company or draft a regular partnership agreement or shareholders’ agreement. However, you need a good entertainment lawyer to draft that type of agreement between the members of a musical group for the purpose of their musical career/business. I’ll just mention a few things to watch out for while preparing such an agreement, and I’ll assume that you have chosen to form a limited liability company.

1. Who owns the company? That’s a question with a pretty straightforward answer. Naturally, the members of the group should be the owners/shareholders of the company. In the interest of everyone, the members should hold equal shares to prevent squabbling later. It is possible that a major financier or manager will want to be a direct part of the business and hold shares. This is a consideration that should be assessed depending on the situation.
2. Distribution of profits. It seems obvious that the profits should be shared equally between the members. That is until you remember that one member is the lead singer doing the bulk of the singing, and another member paid the studio and engineers that produced the demo that helped the group shoot to fame. And then, yet another member is the major song-writer. Then, distributing profits equally is a sure way to build resentment and make sure that the group does not see the end of 2011 together. It is quite amusing to see a bunch of grown ups bickering like junior secondary school students.
3. The name of the group. As the brand behind the success and the cash, the group’s name is such an important part of a company of singers that it merits its own discussion. This is why I’m giving it its own entry on the blog - Me, My Group and I (Part 2).
4. Accounts and financial records of the company. It is imperative to keep accounts of the company, so that if one member or another person entirely lends the group some money, the money could be treated as a loan to be repaid with interest. Since the company will be making profit, it is important to bear in mind the necessity of paying tax. If you do not like the idea of paying tax, please stick to singing in the choir and in buses (and don't think of making profits). Note that at some point in time, it will become necessary staff.
5. Copyright ownership. This is a somewhat tricky issue. The members of the group are usually joint owners of the works of copyright created by the group, and joint ownership comes with a lot of issues. For instance, generally, where a member licenses the use of a song to a third party, it will be valid under the law, even if other clients do not know. An agreement will put a lot of things in perspective by clearing out terms on which this issues may be addressed.
6. Other businesses. The company may decide to venture into other businesses. The modalities of these should be considered.

There are a lot of other things to be considered including voting, admission of a new member, death and disability of a member, and other issues, all of them important. However, we’ll be discussing the group names next.

Hang on tightly to your boat.


© 2010 Tinukemi Alabi
Comments/Questions: tinukemi@gmail.com

YOU AND YOUR AGENT

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

YOU AND YOUR AGENT

So you’ve decided to be a professional. All that singing in church and cracking jokes at kiddies’ parties won’t do you anymore. So you change your wardrobe and include a lot of bling in it. The next thing you might need to do to up your swagger is to get an agent or manager. Everyone knows that any important person or person-to-be never speaks or hustles for themselves.

In any case, it’s not only good for your profile to have an agent, it is may be practical. As a creative person, you may not have the necessary time, skills, resources and connections to effectively promote yourself and your work. Thus, to be taken seriously before you grow old, it might be a good investment to get an agent.

Very simply, an agent is a person who has authority to create legal relations between you and others, and this agent could be an individual or a company. In any situation, it’s best to have a good relationship between you and your agent.

Before I go on, here's a word of warning: always maintain a relationship with a good lawyer, agent or no agent.

That said, note that there may be some popular agents who are very good at getting delicious deals for entertainers but who may not be right for you. It is prudent to pick an agent who may not be so connected but who is passionate about working well with you and for you.

In Nigeria of today, you’ll hardly find statutes concerning entertainment industry/talent agents. Yeah yeah, we know it’s long overdue. However the good news is that you can make your own rules by contract. You must make your own rules by contract. This is very important. It does not matter if the agent is your cousin or your church member, this is business. The contract will determine most of the issues of your working relationship with your agent.

Here are some things you should bear in mind when drawing up such a contract:

1. Write it down. Generally, you may create an agency relationship by oral or written agreement. It could even be created by your conduct. However, it is most advisable to put the terms of the agency in writing; it can save you a lot of doctor appointments later.

2. It is wise to agree on the core duties of your agent and other obligations. Usually, the main duties of an entertainment/talent agent include finding work opportunities for you and negotiating the terms of those opportunities. As the agent is the manager of your career, both of you have to be on the same page.
There are certain fiduciary duties that come along with the position of an agent, but I won’t go into that now, talk to your lawyer about them.

3. Retain the final say. Generally, an agent may enter into contracts for you, but it is advisable that you contract to always have the final say on what you want to do. It is possible that the agent knows and understands the industry more than you do, and you may have to defer to his/her ‘higher wisdom’. All the same, some deals may go against your personal ethos or convictions, thus, retain the final right of contract and deals approval, make your concrete approval and signature compulsory to seal any deal. Do not take things for granted.

4. The agent’s gotta earn some money off you, it’s only natural. Decide on the mode of remuneration. Most agents are paid by a pre-determined commission (a percentage) on the income recieved by the principals.

It’s most advisable to expressly define the income from which the agent may deduct his/her commission. It’s usually best to limit the commisionable income to that derived from live shows and performances or endorsements that the agent helped to bring in.

While on the subject of money, it possible that the agent will incur certain costs and expenses on your behalf, agree on the mode and frequency of reimbursement.

5. Most agents represent entertainers on an exclusive basis. This means that anyone who wants to enter any professional deals with you must go through the agent. If your agent has been tested and trusted, it may be wise to hire him/her on an exclusive basis. However, nothing stops you form contracting to change this.

6. Agree on the term/duration of the agency relationship. You can always include the option of renewal of the agency relationship if it works out well.

Bottom line: be wide awake on issues concerning you and your agent. It could make or mar your entertainment career.

© 2010 Tinukemi Alabi

Comments/Questions: tinukemi@gmail.com

NOLLYWOOD DREAMS AND PRODUCT PLACEMENT

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

NOLLYWOOD DREAMS AND PRODUCT PLACEMENT

I have a dream. That one day, I will be delighted to watch a Nigerian-made movie (in 3D, mind you) at the top of the international box office. Now, I don’t mean a movie with Nigerian-born actors like Chiwetel Ejiorfor starring in a Paramount Pictures-distributed, James Cameron-directed ‘Hollywood’ movie. I’m talking of seeing a movie written by a Nigerian, produced by a Nigerian, directed by a Nigerian, shot in Nigeria, and acted by our own sons and daughters of the soil.

The most common excuse on the mouth of Nigerian film producers is that of limited funds. Well, that’s quite understandable, nothing good comes cheaply. I have long repented of complaining and criticizing without proferring solutions, so I have decided to throw more light on one method of fundraising for film producers- PRODUCT PLACEMENT.

Product placement occurs when a brand or product is prominently added and displayed in the scenes of the film, and sometimes written into the lines. It is a refeshing way of advertising because it is not so ‘in-your-face’ like direct advertising. It is a good way of generating funds and free products for the producer and it is a good and credible way of advertising for the brand owner.

Please, let’s clarify something about product placement from the onset. With product placement, you have the brand owner’s permission and you will even benefit from using the product in the film. This is different from where you do not have any permission and you may not even be aware that you are displaying the products or intellectual property of someone else (we do this a lot in Nigeria). If it is incidental inclusion or it does not feature prominently or so many times in the film, it may not be a problem. However, when you display or use a brand/product prominently, especially in a wrong or negative manner, you may be asking for trouble. In any case, we are not discussing that here and now, remind me to bring up the topic later.

Here are some things to keep in mind when contemplating or negotiating a product placement arrangement:

1) Get a lawyer. This is the first and most important caveat. Don’t even think of going through with a product placement deal without thorough and specific legal guidance. The pitfalls are wider than the potholes on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

2) Let the brand owners know what type of film you are producing. They may need to know the storyline, especially the scene(s) in which you propose to use their product. This is a fair request. However, you need may want to keep some parts of the storyline to yourself, so long as it will not affect the brand in any way (your lawyer will guide you here). In addition, you may have the brand owners sign a Confidentiality or Non-Use and Non-Disclosure Agreement. That way, you have some level of guarantee that your story is safe.

3) Have a written contract between yourself (as the film producer) and the brand owners. Please, do not assume anything. Know and agree for sure.

4) Agree on the method of placement. Will the brand of tissues be prominently displayed when the lead actress is crying? Or will lines concerning the product form part of the dialogue? How many times? For how long?

5) Do not promise what you cannot deliver. This is very important. An instance where this can arise is where you agree with the brand owner that the product will form part of the dialogue twice in the movie, and during editing and post production, you cut off one of the scenes involving the product. You may be exchanging your credibility for a court action.

In addition, it may be wise to insert a clause into the contract that limits your liability to monetary damages and prevents the brand owners from getting an injunction to stop the release of your film for non-performance of a contractual term. Although the success of this type of clause in film-making contracts has not been tested in Nigerian courts, I daresay, it should be successful. The grouse of a few people, however justified it may be, should not stop the progress of the work of a thousand of others.

Generally, it’s just best all round to do what you promised, like you learned in kindergarten. In any case, the brand owners (the ones with sharp lawyers) will require that they see the finished product of the film before it is premiered or released. And this is a logical request; they have their interests to protect.

6) It is also logical for the brand owners to ask you to warrant that your work is an original work and that you have not infringed on the rights of another person (a third party). This is because this third party may find a way to stop the release of the film and of course, the advertisement of their product. However, try your best to ensure that this warranty does not give rise to weighty damages. You may warrant that you’ll refund only the money paid by the brand owners for the product placement and only when the court has found that you did infringe the rights of the third party.


7) It may also be prudent to make it clear to the brand owners that what you are offering them is the placement of their brand/product in the film as agreed and not to a share in the profits, royalties or other proceeds of the film. They are advertisers, not direct profit investors.

8) A word of advice, though: while you may involve a number of products in the film, you don’t want to crowd the film with a lot of products, such that the sitting room of the lead actress looks like a supermarket. The whole gist of product placement is that it does not even seem like advertising, and so it registers on the subconscious mind of the viewer without all the bias that direct advertising faces.

Please, Nollywood, make my dream come true.

© 2010 Tinukemi Alabi
Comments/Questions: tinukemi@gmail.com

NIGERIA? WE'VE GOT TALENT!!

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

NIGERIA? WE’VE GOT TALENT!!

Are you an artist, writer, singer, photographer, movie producer or the creator of any intellectual work? Oh, please relax; this is not an ad for a talent hunt. It is a little guide for talent competitions and festivals. If you are contemplating the submission of an entry for some talent competition or festival to go and show everybody just how it’s done, you need to sit up and read carefully. The event could be local or international and the entry in question could be anything protected by copyright: a written or recorded song, a poem or story, a movie or a photograph, a sculpture or a painting.

Under Nigerian and international laws, when you create a work you own the copyright in that work. Very simply, copyright means the exclusive right to exploit the work you’ve created. There are some exceptions, but this generally means that if anyone wants to use that work in any form or to any degree, that person will have to seek permission from you.

Let me clarify something. The work we are discussing here is the one which you have created before the competition and which you are submitting for it. We are not discussing the work that the organisers of the competition sponsored you to create after you have won or after you have reached a certain stage in the competition. That is another thing entirely and it is likely that the conditions surrounding it would differ.

Also, note that the work we are referring to is the work of intellectual property, not the tangible property containing the work. So, don’t be miffed if the organiser doesn’t return the sheet of paper on which you submitted your poem or if you discover that the roasted corn you bought by the roadside was wrapped in it.

Copyright is a transferable right. However, the fact that you are submitting your work does not mean that you have given away your copyright. Nevertheless, when you are entering for a talent hunt or competition or festival, it is not unusual for there to be some form of transfer of your copyright to the organiser, the question to ask is: what kind of transfer is it? What is it, exactly, that you are permitting?

The kind of transfer it is will have certain effects. Any of these effects is alright, as long as you know and assent to the kind of transfer that brought it on.

More often than not, it is impossible to negotiate the terms of the transfer. Usually, you will be given an entry form that contains the terms and conditions of the competition. Chances are that the document will be boring. Even so, always read the fine print. If you do not see a clause that deals with the transfer of rights, please ask or forever hold your peace.

Copyright can be transferred in a number of ways, but, for our purpose here, we’ll concern ourselves with three types of transfers: the non- exclusive transfer, the exclusive transfer and the assignment.

The Non-Exclusive Transfer
Here, the organiser has the right to use your work in specified ways. However, this right given is not exclusive and other persons may use that same right in the same way(s). For instance, if the organisers have a right to copy and publish your work, you may still give the right to other people to copy and publish the same work. This kind of transfer is quite safe for you, but it’s doubtful that the organisers will want it. After all, where’s the fun if other people can do the same thing?

The Exclusive Transfer
In this situation, the organiser has the right to use you work in specified ways for a specified time. Here, this right is exclusive and no one, not even you the creator, will be able to exploit your work in that same way in that territory/area (e.g. in Nigeria). This is quite desirable and it is what organisers would want to go for. Still, you may want to ensure that the time and manner of licence is clearly stated. Imagine if you allow the organisers to use the photograph you’ve created on their website for a year and then five years down the line, it is still there. The good part of this licence is that after the specified time, all the rights concerning the work will revert back to you and you can transfer it to some other person or exploit it by yourself.

The Total Assignment
Here, you transfer all the rights concerning the work to the organisers, forever and ever. No other person, not even you, can exploit the work ever again without permission from the organisers who are now the new copyright owners. Now, if you’ll be paid for it, or if you win the grand prize of the competition, it may be worth your while. I mean, who needs a song when you’ve got ten thousand dollars cash prize or a Prado; you can always sing and record another song. However, what happens when you do not even make the preliminaries and you have already signed to assign all your rights when you were completing the entry form?

It may not be that the organisers are greedy; it could just be that the whole purpose of the competition is for the organisers to own and use the winning entry in exchange for the cash prize. It is when you do not win and all your rights have been transferred that you may feel cheated. The sad thing is that you may not be able to cry foul if it is established that you read and consented to the conditions of the competition.

If you created a work with someone and they want to submit the work for a competition, try to read the terms of that competition, especially the ones dealing with the transfer of copyright. This is because, usually, a licence or an assignment by only one of the owners of a work is deemed to be valid and effective. So, your buddy can effectively transfer the copyright in the story you both created.

Always, always read the fine print.

© 2010 Tinukemi Alabi
Comments/Questions: tinukemi@gmail.com

A NEW TUNE: COPYRIGHT COLLECTING SOCIETIES

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

A NEW TUNE: COPYRIGHT COLLECTING SOCIETIES

I visited the infamous Alaba market a while ago. It’s said to be the hub of piracy and I had been warned to go with a good ID card in the event that law enforcers raid the place. Without prejudice to any person or group of people, I am tired of people shouting Alaba every other day. Yes, piracy is a scourge and I’m all for kicking it out, but I fear we’ve been ignoring other important things. The Alaba boys are ‘small fish’. I propose that we turn our attention to something that would be more rewarding in the end: A COPYRIGHT COLLECTING SOCIETY.

Nigeria is ripe for a functional, effective and reliable copyright collecting society. Things are looking up in this respect and so we will not go into the unfortunate history of collecting societies in Nigeria, neither will we take sides or get into the scramble of who’s right or wrong. All, we’ll do for now is understand what a copyright collecting society is and what it does.

By now, you should have a fair knowledge of how copyright works. All the same, here’s the deal. Copyright gives the owner of an eligible work the exclusive right to exploit that work in a number of ways including reproduction, recording, publishing, public performance, adaptation, translation, communication to the public, etc. In other words, only the copyright owner can do any of these acts or authorise anyone to do any of the acts. Any one that exploits the work without permission from the owner may be guilty of infringement.

This means that any person, or any organisation for that matter, that wants to use a copyrighted work, e.g., a song must seek permission. These users include television and radio stations (yeah, that’s right, especially them), competitions and talent shows, festivals and special events, expositions, restaurants, bars, hotels, night clubs, shopping centres, exhibitions, offices, websites, etc.

Now, imagine the representatives of all the ‘users’ of ‘Strong Thing’ on a queue at Banky W’s door, contracts in hand, seeking permission for every time they air or play the song or use it in some other way. Then, these poor people would then march to the doors of Tuface Idibia, to seek permission for every use of ‘Implication’, ‘Enter the place’, ‘African Queen’ and all his other songs, and then they would move on to Styl Plus, then TY Bello, then El Dee, then Ebenezer Obey, then Tosin Martins, Kefee, P. Square, Asa, and every other artiste or copyright owner. Ha!!

Enter the saviour: Collecting Societies

Put simply, a collecting society (also called a collective management organisation) is an association that has the authority to license works and collect royalties on behalf of copyright owners for an agreed fee. The collecting society acts as a middleman between copyright owners and the users of the works. The relationship between the copyright owners and the collecting society is a fiduciary one where the copyright owners are the principals and the collecting society is the agent representing them.

Copyright societies exist because it is impractical to enforce the rights of the copyright owners one by one and the copyright owners do not usually have the knowledge, expertise and resources to monitor all uses of their works. Equally, it is not possible for a broadcasting organisation, for instance, to seek specific permission from every copyright owner for the use of every copyrighted work, every time.

Contrary to what a lot of people think, collecting societies are not meant for those in the business of music alone. The members of a collecting society include all owners of copyright and neighbouring rights: writers, visual and other artists, photographers, music composers, singers, or performers. However, although broadcasting stations are copyright owners (with regard to their broadcasts), for this purpose, they are considered users.

As you have probably guessed, collecting societies are best appreciated by bulk users who use copyrighted work as the bedrock of their businesses. Collecting societies administer rights including:

a) The right of public performance (music played or performed in clubs, restaurants, and other public places);

b) The right of broadcasting (live and recorded performances on radio and television);

c) The mechanical reproduction rights in musical works (the reproduction of works on CDs,tapes, vinyl records, cassettes, mini-discs, or other forms of recordings);

d) The performing rights in dramatic works;

e) The right of reprographic reproduction of literary works (photocopying);


How A Collecting Society Works

1. The copyright owners join a collecting society and declare all their works, the rights to which they want the society to administer for them.

2. The collecting society builds up a large repertoire or collection of works.

3. The users of the work (e.g. broadcasting stations, exhibitors, schools and eateries) negotiate with the collecting society for a licence to use all the works in the repertoire of the collecting society for a specific period of time, for a fee, of course. This licence is called a blanket licence because it covers a lot of works.

4. The collecting society monitors the use of the licensed works.

5. The users submit records of the works used over a specified period to the collecting society (e.g the logs of music played on radio between January 1st and June 30th).

6. At a specific time, the collecting society pools all the proceeds paid by users, deducts a percentage for administrative costs and distributes the rest of the proceeds to the copyright owners based on the use of their works, as determined from the records submitted by the users. They are special technological systems used for all these purposes.

In practice, it may be cumbersome for just one collecting society to manage all the types of rights enumerated above. So, what usually obtains is that a collecting society handles just one of the rights, e.g., the right of public performance.

Where a collecting society is under reciprocal representation agreements with collecting societies in other countries, it may administer foreign repertoires in its national territory, exchange information and pay royalties to foreign owners of rights. For instance, if the collecting society in Nigeria is under this reciprocal agreement with ASCAP (one of the collecting societies in America), it would represent the copyright owners in ASCAP’s repertoire and ASCAP would represent the copyright owners in the repertoire of the Nigerian collecting society.

The race has started, but in Nigeria, we are still tying up our shoestrings. Yes, the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) has been approved and all that. We can only hope that the society executes the mandate before it timeously as we lose remuneration and revenue daily. All stakeholders will do well to work with them and stop wasting good breath on piracy.

I propose that we leave Alaba alone for one week and target the big users who are enjoying the rewards without the sweat. They have no hiding place, and neither are they likely to go out of business or go on strike just because they have been asked to follow the law.

Who’s with me?

© 2010 Tinukemi Alabi
Comments/Questions: tinukemi@gmail.com

MUSIC FOR YOUR MOVIE

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

MUSIC FOR YOUR MOVIE: DOs and DON’Ts

Picture this. You are watching a Yoruba ‘epic’ movie. It’s an ancient war scene set in a local village in Ondo State of Nigeria, and suddenly, the voice of Celine Dion breaks out “Gonna stand by your side noooooow, let me kiss all your tears away…”

No, your sister didn’t just put her phone’s music player on the loudspeaker mode. It’s the part of soundtrack of the Yoruba epic movie you are watching. Yeah, yeah, I know it’s not that bad anymore, but I had to get your attention somehow.

Dear people of Nollywood, we are talking movies + music today. Never underestimate the role of a soundtrack in a movie. In fact, in Hollywood and Bollywood, it is not unusual for a movie to have its own soundtrack album, released separately from the movie.

Let’s understand how to properly acquire music for your movie.

At the onset, let’s distinguish between the music on the soundtrack of a movie that has already been produced and the music that is not yet on the soundtrack of a movie. Both are musical pieces that are protected under the Copyright Act. However, they are protected differently. The music on the soundtrack of a movie is protected as part of a cinematograph film, as it is included in its definition in section 39 (1). The music that is yet to be on a movie soundtrack, however, is protected as a musical work. It is this musical work that is sought to be used that we are concerned with here.

To obtain music for your movie, you have two options:
1. Use already existing music that has been sung and recorded.
2. Create fresh and completely original music for your movie.
Or you can take both options.

Existing Music

If you’re using existing music, bear in mind that the musical piece is a protected work under the Act. Section 5 (1) (a) grants the holder of the copyright of a musical work a number of exclusive rights in the work which includes reproduction, publishing, performance, distribution, broadcasting, adaptation, making of a cinematograph film or record in respect of the work, or doing all of the foregoing in relation to the translation or adaptation of the work.

It may be quite tricky to ascertain who owns the copyright in a song. It may have been written and composed by Mr. Lagbaja and recorded by Mrs. Tamedun of One-Nigeria Record Company. If you want to use the lyrics and composition of the song and get your own sister, Nightingale, to sing it, you’ll need to ask Mr. Lagbaja for a license. This license is called a synchronisation license (synch license).

If, however, you want to use the song as sung and recorded by Mrs. Tamedun, you’ll need to get a master use license from One-Nigeria Record Company to use this specific recording, in addition to getting a synch license from Mr. Lagbaja. In Nigeria, however, all this grammar may not be necessary as it is usually the same person that writes a song and records it.

It’s prudent to make certain that neither Mr. Lagbaja nor Mrs. Tamedun has infringed the copyright of another person entirely (a third party) in writing or recording the song, so you’ll not get ‘implicated’.

Whichever license you get, whether it’s a synch license, a master use license, or both, ensure that it gives not just the right to reproduce and use the musical work on your movie but also includes further rights of publishing, performance, distribution, broadcasting, etc. It may also be clever to envisage the possibility of developing a soundtrack album in the future.

Original Music

You may decide to go the route of producing your own fresh music for the movie. This is especially preferable if you are working with a low budget. You could get a good songwriter to write the song, and beg your choir leader to sing it for you. It’s also possible for you to get a song that is already in the public domain (i.e. a song for which the copyright protection has expired), this means no licenses, no royalties.

It’s generally cheaper to get an unpopular singer to record the song for you. However, if you must use a popular musician, you should ensure that he/she is not under an exclusive recording contract with a record company, or else the record company’s permission will be required.

It’s advisable to insist on a contract between you and the person who is writing/singing/recording the music for you which names you as the owner of the copyright in the music. This is because under section 9 of the Copyright Act, this writer and/or singer would be the owner of the musical lyrics and composition or recording, unless such a contract exists. Ensure that it is a work for hire under the contract, that way, the copyright belongs to you.

Any option you choose, don’t forget that you have to do this for every musical work you use.

Tiresome, isn’t it? Getting an entertainment lawyer isn’t such a bad idea, after all.

BRANDING AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

BRANDING, AND ALL THAT JAZZ

Entrepreneurship. I find that word fascinating for two reasons. One: it’s challenging to spell correctly. And two: it is a convenient cover-up for those who do not know what they are doing or what they are about, since everyone knows that an entrepreneur may not be successful immediately. Well, we are not discussing how to make a business idea or entrepreneurial venture succeed; we don’t want to put the core business advisors and shrinks out of business. However, we’ll briefly discuss something that could be a crucial element to its success.

Here’s another popular word: Branding. Every Bode, Obinna and Ali is tossing that word about these days, and with good reason too. As with almost everything in life, it could work for you or against you. When you’re starting a business, an important factor to consider is your brand. You may own the brand or you may have to apply for a licence from its rightful owner (we’ll talk about licensing and franchising another time).

In business, a brand is important because it creates an identity for you which can help you to:
• Ensure that your customers, clients, business partners and the general public can distinguish your product/service from others products/services.
• Build a relationship and reputation with the general public and have a competitive advantage (well, if your product/service is good).
• A successful brand is a form of property (intellectual) that can help you to obtain income (through franchising and royalties).
• A good and successful brand is a valuable business asset that helps your credibility and may help you gain investors and obtain financing.

Your brand is a form of your intellectual property. It is as much a property as any other thing you own, and in due time, it could even be more valuable than your real property or other tangible properties. Thus, it is important for you to protect it, so as to get the most out of it. This is especially in a country like Nigeria where everyone wants to copy a successful thing and make it their own.

The best form of protection that you can give your brand is by registering it. Registration gives you the exclusive right to prevent others from trading under the same or a confusingly similar brand.

Branding is related to many areas of law including unfair competition, advertising law and company law. However, the area of law that deals with the registration of a brand for the purposes of protection is a part of intellectual property law called trade marks’ law. In legal parlance, a ‘brand’ is usually referred to as a ‘mark’ (I agree with you that it is not as glamorous).

A mark is a sign that distinguishes goods and services of one person/enterprise/business from those of others. It could be a word, letter, numeral, drawing, picture, shape, colour, label, name, or any combination of any of these. Where it is used on a product or a service, it is generally called a ‘trade mark’ or a ‘service mark’ respectively.

The registration of a mark in Nigeria is governed by the Trade Marks Act. I will not go into the actual process of registration here and now, let it suffice to say that the current process of trade marks registration may be somewhat cumbersome. Thus, it is best to let the strong-hearted lawyers and trade mark agents handle it for you.

I have to briefly mention the doctrine of ‘PASSING-OFF’ by which protection is given to unregistered marks by common law. If some person/entity ‘passes off’ their product or service with a mark that looks like your own or with your name or mark, in a manner sufficient to cause confusion or deception, you are entitled under law to proceed against the person.

The advantage that a registered mark has over an unregistered one is that of proof in the event of infringement. A successful Passing-Off action depends on proof that the mark has accumulated public goodwill over a period of time, and that certain losses have been, is being, or is likely to be incurred by you as a result of the actions of the infringer. This ‘goodwill factor’, which may be difficult to prove, is not compulsory in an action for the infringement of a registered mark.

The remedies for an action for infringement of a registered mark and those of an action for passing off on an unregistered mark are the same viz: injunction, damages, accounts, conversion, delivery up and destruction of the infringing goods.

Well, now, you can’t say you didn’t know all these.

Feather Play

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

FEATHER PLAY

The hard way is the most effective way of learning. However, since I’m nice, I’ll be gentle, but we do have to learn. Let us ruffle some feathers, so we can learn, of course. For the purposes of this bird play, we’ll take a journey on one of those ‘executive’ coaches that ferry people across the country and sometimes outside.

Ever travelled long distance by road in Nigeria in one of those ‘executive’ coaches? There are a lot of reasons not to: the fatigue, the time, the crappy food…but on the good side there’s the extra leg room, added convenience, the movies…. Let’s talk about those movies you watch on the road (or maybe in the air). Now, we won’t be discussing the sensibility of the storyline or the appropriateness of the cast, we will be discussing legality.

Of course, for the purposes of this discussion, we’ll be referring to our beloved Copyright Act. Movies are protected under the Act as cinematograph films. This right is vested in the author of the film, maybe the producer. However, it is possible that a film being viewed in a coach has been licensed to a Pay TV broadcaster, like DSTV or hiTV, and it is from this broadcasting station that the film is copied and shown in buses.

To determine whose copyright has been infringed, it would depend on whether the film is being shown straight from the disc on which it was recorded by the producer, or whether it is being shown from the channel of a broadcast station, where it was part of a broadcast (we are assuming that the broadcast itself is duly licensed). Either way, there is some protection.

By section 5 (1) (c) of the Act, the author of a cinematograph film generally has the exclusive right to control, i.e. to do or authorise the doing of any of the following acts in Nigeria:

a) Make a copy of the film;
b) Cause the film to be seen or heard in public;
c) Make any record embodying the recording in any part of the soundtrack associated with the film by utilising such soundtrack;
d) Distribute to the public, for commercial purposes of the work, by way of rental, lease, hire, loan or similar arrangement.

Similarly, thanks to section 7 of the Act, the copyright in a broadcast is the exclusive right to control the doing in Nigeria of any of the following acts:
a) the recording and re-broadcast of the whole or a substantial part of the broadcast;
b) the communication to the public of the whole or a substantial part of a television broadcast, either in its original form or in any form recognisably derived from the original;
c) the distribution to the public for the commercial purposes, of copies of the work, by way of rental, lease, hire, loan or similar arrangement;
d) the taking of still photographs from the broadcast.

Now are these ‘coaches’ encroaching on some rights? Let’s look at section 14(1) (a) and (c). The import of this section is that It provides that copyright is infringed by any person who without the licence or authorisation of the owner of the copyright:
(a) does, or cause any other person to do an act, the doing of which is controlled by copyright;
(c) exhibits in public any article in respect of which copyright is infringed under paragraph (a) of this subsection.

So, now, you tell me, if these coaches have not been authorised to show these films, will they be infringing some person’s right, prima facie? It’s okay, you won’t be an ‘aiding’ or ‘abetting’ by watching the movies in the coach, so you can tell the truth, at least to yourself. The coach company has probably lost their own copy of your ticket anyway, so no one will be able to trace you.

It would be interesting if the actual copyright owners were to take it up with these guys, but that is not the point here. The issue is that those things that you thought you could do and get away with? Well, people are starting to take notice. For every ‘home video’ you buy, realise it is just what you call it, a home video, not meant for public use or viewing. I believe a warning usually appears on the screen to tell you just that. The fact that the warning is tacky and/or may be filled with typographical errors would not relieve you of liability.

Oh, you are smiling? Afterall, you do not own an executive coach. However, as it happens, this is not limited to buses, planes, bicycles, scooters or anything moves you from point A to B. It applies in a lot of situations: the club or that is busy showing broadcasts from Soundcity and MTV Base; the owner of a restaurant or fast food place that is playing ‘home videos’ or watching Africa Magic during business hours where customers can watch; the ‘beer parlour’ owner who hopes to draw in more customers by showing football matches on TV…

The copyright to these works are owned by people who are slowly but surely getting interested in their investments, and whether you like it or not, the law says they get to dictate how their works are exploited. So, if hiTV says to pay 50,000 for some form of commercial bouquet before you can show their matches or whatever in public, well, tough luck.

You can either get an authorisation from the owner, or you can wait for fifty years after the end of the year in which the film was first published or the broadcast first took place, whatever the case may be, since that is when the protection ends. I personally think it might make more sense to go the first way, though, because if you have to wait for fifty years, instead of the ‘home video’ they expect, your clientele may mistake it for some form of documentary on 'Yesteryears'.

If you must do it, do it right. Really, how hard is that to understand?

Selato vs. CCL

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

SELATO vs. CCL

Meet Selato. She’s a voice-over artiste extraordinaire. She heard that the telecommunications giant, Colossal Communications Limited (CCL), is about to launch a new advertising campaign. So, she hops into the studio and cooks up a wonderful commercial, even though CCL has not asked her to do anything. The beat is catchy, the script is perfect, and the whole commercial could air in less than 40 seconds. Awesome! If you heard it once, you were bound to fall in love with CCL.

After a lot of resilient lobbying, she gets audience before management of CCL. She proposes to sell the commercial to them for big bucks, but they won’t even buy it for small bucks. Licking her wounds, she tries to re-work the commercial for CCL’s rival Virtue Telecoms, but before she can do much, she hears that CCL is about to use a major part of the commercial for their campaign afterall. Now, that’s all good, except, there is no acknowledgment or financial compensation for Selato. In fact, CCL is claiming ownership of the commercial.

As you might have guessed, this is for those people who do things without being asked. No crime there. Afterall, life is a gamble, nothing ventured, nothing gained. However, this venture has turned into a mess where Selato might lose out totally.

Let us help Selato resolve her mess, you and I.

Dear Selato:

Before making trouble at all, let us confirm that you have the right to make trouble. This is a commercial about CCL where CCL was mentioned about a hundred times. However, you created that commercial.

Under the Copyright Act, this commercial can be classified as a ‘sound recording’ which is: the fixation of a sequence of sound capable of being perceived aurally and of being reproduced but does not include a sound track associated with a cinematograph film.

Copyright is vested in the author by section 9 of the same Act. This author is described in section 39 (1) as: the person by whom the arrangements for making of the sound recording were made, unless the parties to the making of the sound recording provide otherwise by contract within themselves’.

The case would have been different if CCL or CCL’s advertising agency had by contract commissioned you, Selato, to prepare the commercial for CCL. Then, they copyright would have been vested in CCL or even the advertising agency.

Now, Selato, you do not need a soothsayer to tell you that, prima facie, you are the author of the work, and you own the copyright. However, before you jump with glee, let us examine the nature of the right you have. No use jumping over something that is not worth a cup of beans.

By the provisions of section 6 of the Act, copyright in a sound recording shall be exclusive right to control in Nigeria:
a) the direct or indirect reproduction, broadcasting or communication to the public of the whole or a substantial part of the recording either in its original form or in any form recognisably derived from the original;
b) the distribution to the public for commercial purposes of copies of the work by way of rental, lease, hire, loan or similar arrangement.

As we see it, Selato, you have two options, really. You can leave CCL in the hands of God. Or you can use your God given brains.

You can get an interim injunction to stop CCL from airing the commercial. There’s no avoiding it, even though you may hate the word C-O-U-R-T. If it’s any consolation, a number of us hate that word, but we do what we have to do. The injunction is probably the only thing the big boys and shot-callers of CCL will respect. Even your lawyer may be denied audience when you want to calmly talk it over. Put the lawyer to better use and get an injunction. Simply put, this injunction is a temporary order of court which commands a person to do an act or to refrain from doing an act. In this case it will be to restrain CCL from airing the contentious commercial. Unfortunately, not only is it at the discretion of the court, it is not conclusive; the key word here is temporary. It has a short life span, which could be like 2 weeks, so this means that you shouldn’t do the victory dance yet.

Now, although it has been explained earlier, you own the copyright. However, since CCL may want to claim ownership or make some trouble of its own, you can apply to the court for a declaratory judgment (I did mention that this wasn’t over). This is a decision of the court for the determination of a controversy on law or rights. Here, the court will examine the situation and the relevant law and make a declaration as to who owns the copyright.

It is possible that while the declaratory judgment proceedings are still on, CCL will try to air the commercial as soon as the currency of the interim injunction is over. They are not likely to play fair, and neither should you. This is where you’ll bring in another type of injunction called the interlocutory injunction. Now, it has a longer life-span and will indeed last till the end of the court proceedings for the declaratory judgment. Its effect would be to stop CCL from airing the commercial.

The interesting thing about a declaratory judgment is that it does not necessarily grant you any executory relief, i.e., it is not an order to stop CCL from airing the commercial or to command CCL to pay you compensation. It only declares what is already obvious, that the copyright belongs to you.

The practical thing to do once you get your declaration is to wait. If CCL does not use the commercial anymore, that is good. You may still be able to get Virtue Telecoms to play ball.

However, it is very likely that CCL may still go on and air the commercial anyway, declaratory judgment or not. They are business men; they will weigh the profits the company will make from airing the commercial against the damages and compensation they will have to pay as a result of using the song without permission. It is very possible that the former will outweigh the latter.

It’s time to be practical, so you don’t end up fighting against a giant who has more means than you for protracted court litigation. You can claim compensation from CCL then. They would have used something which has been provided by statute and declared by the court as your work, of which you own the copyright. The issue of proof will be a lot easier than when you are trying to prove that they WILL or MAY use it. This will be a more straightforward and easily proven case of infringement. And if by now, you’ve caught the litigation fever, you would still have a better case in court than if CCL had not used your work.

However, please note that if CCL does not use the commercial, you have to ensure that any mention of or reference to CCL is totally removed from it, whether or not it is sold to another buyer.

Selato, it is possible that you do not like all this litigation business at all, but tough luck. Next time, try to keep from things you have not been asked to do. If you must, let the advertising agency or the company hear just a little portion of the commercial you have prepared and if they are interested in listening to the whole package, get them to sign a contract that will ensure that you get acknowledgment and compensation if they decide to use your work.

If you have not done that already, please pay special attention to the disclaimer above, individual circumstances can be trusted to differ greatly.

Music and Business 101

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

MUSIC AND BUSINESS 101

One word of self defence: I am not a prophet of doom, clanging bells and warning you of impending dangers. Well, maybe I am. On the Nigerian entertainment scene, things have been taken for granted for far too long, but thankfully, stakeholders are either sitting up or the economic dip has taken a position on their favourite seats and they are standing up to attention.

This is Making Your Music Business Work 101. Because IT IS A BUSINESS. No sense spending all your good hours making music and going to bed hungry. Yes, music could be the food of love, but it may not work for your stomach. When you’re hungry, there’s the likelihood that good music turns to bad noise.

The Nigerian music scene is quite peculiar. There are not so many standard record labels around. When I say record labels here, I’m not talking about the ones carelessly formed by the artistes themselves; those are all over the place. I’m talking about the standard record label: Artiste and Repertoire, Business and Accounting, Artiste Development, Legal, Art and Graphics, Promotion, Publicity, Marketing, Sales, all the works.

I acknowledge that getting a record label that really understands the business would go a long way; however, this is for those who do not belong to such a label. You must still learn how to make your music business work for you and other stakeholders.

Chances are certain parties are involved:
• You
• Other group members
• Marketers/Distributors
• Your dear Uncle Kayode that loaned you some money (or some other sponsor)
• Your Manager (well, where’s the swagger without a manager, even if it’s your kid brother)
• A media and publicity company (if you are lucky or trouble-prone).

Now, whether you know it or not, admit it or not, everyone listed above (and maybe even more) has a stake in your music career, so sit up, this is business, and you are not in Kansas anymore.

Here are some things you may do:

1. Create a legal structure that gives all the ‘major’ participants a stake in the business. The singers in the group may be two or more. You may create a partnership or even a company. Creating such an entity ensures that the reasonable interests of all the members are identified and documented. There’s nothing that turns off potential investors and business associates like a group of bickering and unorganised singers.

2. Create a profit-sharing structure between the financial stakeholders and contributors. This structure should recognise the financial, labour and other investments of each member. It should also capture the major present (and speculated) income streams: CD sales, other royalties, fees from tours and shows, celebrity endorsements and advertisements, etc. Your sponsor(s) will be included in this structure. It is wise to specify very clearly whether the sponsor(s) will be sharing the profit realised from the particular song/video/album they sponsored or throughout the entire music career.

3. With the marketers/distributors of CDs, it is likely that they will want to fix a price or percentage as their cut in the wholesale price of the CD. If it is possible, link this cut (or a percentage of it) to the profit on the CD sales, so that they get fully or partially paid after, not before, the sales. This may come at a price (for instance, a higher cut), but it might be worth it. Up your negotiation skills (and your prayers) and you might get that. This approach also get’s them to work for the general success of the sales, since their gain is linked to it. In addition, they are probably your best allies on the issue of piracy, since the chances are that they know the pirates. However, take care not to link their payment to your general profit (made from other sources except the CD sales).

4. Spell out who does what. If you’ll be hiring a manager (and you really should), his duties, responsibilities and boundaries should be clearly stated out in a contract.

5. There is the possibility that the group may be very successful, and decide to go into merchandising and spin-offs from their public image and good will, or maybe start a clothing line (think L.A.M.B or September 20th). It will be wise to put the possibility of this arrangement in black and white.

6. Invest on a good accountant. There’s no avoiding your dealing with numbers. And when you earn some profit, you will be subject to the payment of tax. A good accountant can help with both.

7. If you are incorporating a company, make allowances for a shareholding structure that could accommodate future investors, if need be.

8. If you’ll be signing up with a media and publicity company, go in with your eyes open. Understand and be clear on what they will or will not do for you. It’s not likely that their fees will be linked to your profit, but if you are pinching pennies, you may want to go for the lowest media package possible.

9. Get a lawyer, for goodness sake. You’d know that by now.

When you have these basics in place, it does a few things for you. For one thing, it keeps you in control of many aspects of your music career. For another, if at some point you decide to sign up with a record label, you would have upped your financial and general business worth, and you would be respected for it.

Getting your acts together would also make it easier for you to acquire capital from different types of investors if you need it. You may want to invest in other types of businesses (say, fish farming or even pure water production), afterall, the entertainment industry is very volatile and you may not always wow the crowd. This organisation helps you to streamline your investments.

Hey, you may even decide to start your own record label!!

STORY, STORY...I WRITE BETTER CRAP

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

STORY, STORY...I WRITE BETTER CRAP

Maybe you are genuinely talented and your head is always vibrating with stories, plots and lines. Perhaps, you come from a highly critical breed and you stew when you watch ‘crap’ on TV, and decide that you write better stories. Or perhaps, you just want your own share of the Hollywood, sorry Nollywood cake. Bottom line: you have a story to tell and you want to watch it acted out on the big or small screen.

If you do not want to get to the television and film industry in Nigeria through the agent route, you have two options, as I see it (through my limited pair of lens).

First option. You can be the alpha and omega of your story- the producer, director, scriptwriter, and maybe cast yourself as the major actor too, for good measure. That way, you can scrutinise every detail of the film or TV programme to your liking, just as it was concocted in your head. Or you can be just the producer. Then you could hire a director and frustrate the heck out of him by dropping ‘innocent’ suggestions at every turn. Even better, you can hire a good director, whose work you have personally seen and agree with (we actually have some of them around, would you believe it), and allow him room to do his work, after all, you really are a novice. You may just, for safety purposes, include it in his contract that you are allowed a considerable amount of input. It’s your project afterall, and the director works for you, when it comes right down to it.

However, this option is only possible when you have enough money or sponsorship to foot the bills of making a movie, and the time to see every inch of it through.

This is where your second option comes in. Unless you are really lucky, you’ll have to pitch your story to a richer and more experienced film or television programme producer; and he has to like it.

If he buys into it, you have saved yourself a whole lot of Panadol money. But what happens when you give the producer your story and he reads it and declines to be involved. And then a few months later, you watch your story on TV, ably produced by him, of course. When that happens, you will be at a disadvantage because he may deny reading your story and insist that someone else came up with the idea. You may now be left with the choice of litigation, and even then you’ll be facing an enemy way bigger than you with a lot of resources and experience behind him. In fact, even proving that he read your story at all may be tough.

Now, I’m not going to tell you how to make sure he likes your story, just say your prayers. However, I can give you tips on how to protect your interest when sharing your story.

The Nigerian Copyright Act is on your side. By section 1 of the Act, your story is eligible for copyright protection. However, this protection only comes into being when it is original and fixed on a definite medium of expression. It follows that it best if it’s written (if you cannot have it typewritten, at least splurge on a paper, pen and a decent handwriting). This protection lasts for seventy years after the end of the year in which the author dies. Thus, if you you’re your cards right, you might be leaving some nice royalties for your heirs.

As the author/ creator of that story, you become the owner of the copyright in the work. The nature of the protection is described in Section 5 (1) of the same Act. As the copyright owner, you generally have, amidst some exceptions, the exclusive right (in Nigeria) to do and authorise the doing of a number of acts including the production, reproduction, public performance or publishing of your story or any adaptation of it. You also get to control the making of a cinematograph film, record or broadcast and the public or commercial distribution of your story and any translation thereof. And anyone who does any of these acts (and some additional ones provided for under section 14) without your licence or authorisation has infringed your copyright.

By way of its provisions, the Nigerian Copyright Act is your friend. Unfortunately however, its enforcement may not be quite as kind. Thus, the responsibility is on you to protect yourself as much as possible.

There is something called a Non-Use and Non-Disclosure Agreement. This means that when you get a producer to sign it, he is prevented from using your story in any form. There is also an element of confidentiality and he is barred from disclosing it to or sharing it with another person. This sure simplifies a lot of things.

However, getting a producer to sign an agreement (a.k.a potential liability) will not be easy. I mean, you practically ‘suffered’ to get audience and probably have all of five minutes to pitch your story and make him like it, so thrusting your agreement under his nose for signature may be awkward. Imagine this: you walk into Tunde Kelani or Wale Adenuga’s office, whip out a Non-Use and Non-Disclosure Agreement and calmly ask him to sign it before you let him read your story. The odds are you might be walked out, just ask calmly and politely. You could be the next J.K. Rowling, but there are hundreds of writers (most of them full of crap, if it’s any consolation) who would gladly give the producers their stories without a fuss.

Yet you still need to get your story across and protect your interest in the best possible way. Take these tips home:

1. Talk to a lawyer. This gives you a more personal knowledge of the best way to protect your interests in your own individual situation.

2. Get someone to accompany you to see the producer. This really should be your agent or your lawyer, but if it’s the latter, the producer may get defensive. So you might want to go with a true friend or a ‘friend’ who just happens to be a lawyer (wink!). You can conveniently disclose this after audience with the producer, if need be. The whole idea of going with company is for the sake of proof, should a conflict arise later.

3. Before you tell your story (of course, always have a written copy), tell the producer, very nicely, that it is confidential, and that if he ends up using it, you would expect reasonable compensation. It is likely that he will agree verbally, or at least give some indication that he has heard you, maybe a nod. That way, while you have not entered into a ‘written’ agreement, you have entered into an oral one. This is usually harder to prove, but that why is you have a witness with you. However, if the producer says no, you do NOT have a contract.

4. After the meeting, you can send a polite, non-threatening letter to the producer thanking him for the opportunity to discuss your story (state the main plot of the story in one sentence, to clear any doubt). In this letter, you can casually refer to the oral agreement you had earlier entered into (you do not have to actually call it an agreement). If the producer does not immediately deny the existence of such an agreement, this may be construed as an affirmation of its existence. This letter could be used as evidence of your agreement.

5. If any of the above seems calculating to you, you could present the producer with only a part of the story that you consider ‘safe’. Then you can insist that he signs a Non-Use and Non-Disclosure Agreement before he reads the complete story. However, you have the added pressure of making the first-revealed part of the story very irresistible, such that he wouldn’t mind signing an agreement before he sees the rest of it. You might also want to make sure that the later part isn’t quite predictable, so that if he refuses to sign the agreement and he makes his own ending, it would still be different from what you have written.

So, dare we hope for better crap on TV?

POSSIBILITIES

Disclaimer: The aim of this article is information and enlightenment; please consult a solicitor for individual professional advice.

POSSIBILITIES

How long does it take to make a beautiful hit song? Think of the effort and time it takes to write the song, develop the tune and melody, work it all out in the studio with the producers and engineers, and the hustle to get it airtime on radio and television. And of course. There's the money involved, a little or a lot as the case may be.

Most singers, songwriters and producers can spend weeks or even months perfecting a tune or song, yet they do not pay attention to the legal and business side until things go awry. You do have some legal rights (and responsibilities) connected with your music, especially if you are a professional and it's paying your bills. The Nigerian music industry has left the 'anything goes' era. It's time to take notice and be informed. You cannot claim ignorance anymore.

Have you ever considered the possibilities of a 3-minute song? Endless. Here's a hypothetical story:

Three music lovers grew up together in Lagos. They decide to form a group and called themselves "Lagos Boys". Musa's got the voice, Emeka has the looks, and Bayo has the money. They get together and make good music.Their love ballad is a hit. The public cannot get enough of the song. 'Ganja Music', a record label, swoops them up, and signs them on. Some paperwork is involved and the guys read and understand the legal documents, at least so they think. 'Lagos Boys' are enjoying the ride- the label treats them well and takes care of their record production, publicity, performances, promotion and album sales.

Two months into the release of their 3-minute track, a popular Nigerian restaurant wants to use their song for its 'Valentine's Day' Promo. Then, a major fashion show decides to use the same song as the theme song for a fund-raising concert, where Lagos Boys will also give the star performance. Then comes the big one- their song earns a Grammy nomination as the Best Song by a Foreign Group/Duo. Riding on the waves of their huge success, the boys start producing merchandise and touring Africa, Europe and America. All of a sudden they are winning music awards and opening for the Black-Eyed Peas and Janet Jackson. Every step of the way, there is a mountain of agreements to sign. The boys barely know a thing about this, so they are quite content to let their label deal with it.

Then, a major international label makes 'Lagos Boys' a juicy offer to sign them up. The boys decide to leave Ganja Music, only to have the label claim ownership of some of the group's recorded songs. What?! Then Musa 'sees the light' and claims he should earn much more money than the others, since it's his voice that does most of the singing. Just when they boys thought they couldn't take anymore, they heard of an online shop selling their music via unauthorised downloads. Then, a group of four guys come out with the name "Lagos Big Boyz" and that doesn't feel right. Of course, there are the 'Alaba' pests who are busy getting fat off the sweat of the overworked group. And then, since their song has gained international popularity, a popular British singer hears it and claims that the boys ‘sampled’ her own song without permission. There is trouble within and outside the band. How did this get so complicated? They just wanted to sing and be popular.

Even d most sophisticated of musicians in Nigeria are not really aware of the possibilities of a song or tune. Whether it is for good or for bad, there are unavoidable possibilities. Now I know the story of ‘Lagos Boys’ is a little out there and seems far fetched. For the average 'Naija' musician, all that happens to them is album sales and Easter performances at Eleko Beach, and the most ‘trouble’ they can ever get into is by ‘dissing’ politicians in their song. However, for the musician who knows their music is good and wants to go places, the thing to do is to think ahead and think smart.

And when it comes to the legal aspect of this, there is usually always a way to make the good better, or make the bad bearable.

As a songwriter/singer/producer, you must understand so many things including: how copyrights are created; what rights copyrights give you; what copyright protects and how long the protection lasts; how to secure the best copyright law protection; how to stay out of copyright infringement suits; how to tell whether someone has infringed your copyright and what to do if someone has; how copyright is transferred, licensed and limited, the types of transfer and how the transfer is terminated; and how to understand music writing, producing, publishing and recording agreements. You must understand the sources of income earned by your songs, how this income is shared between every party involved, who the parties involved are…

If you belong to a group, you need to understand how to make the business of music work for every member of the group, you need to understand that whether you realise it or not, you and the other members of your group are in some sort of partnership even if you never sign a partnership agreement; and you need to know what rights and liabilities a partnership entails.

At some point in the life of a singer, he/she becomes a ‘brand’ and is accorded rights and responsibilities of publicity and privacy; add these to your need-to-know list.

Everything that has been said is neither meant to discourage anybody interested in making music nor complicate the art of making music, however, nothing good comes easy. Undoubtedly, there is a lot to know, but the good news is that you do not have to know it all. However, you do need to allow yourself to be guided accordingly by people that do know. If you must do it, do it right.

Remember that word: Possibilities.