{"id":6244,"date":"2023-11-12T10:23:15","date_gmt":"2023-11-12T10:23:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/?p=6244"},"modified":"2023-11-12T10:23:15","modified_gmt":"2023-11-12T10:23:15","slug":"song-protection-requirements-costs-and-timeline-for-copyright-registration","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/2023\/11\/12\/song-protection-requirements-costs-and-timeline-for-copyright-registration\/","title":{"rendered":"SONG PROTECTION: REQUIREMENTS, COSTS AND TIMELINE FOR COPYRIGHT REGISTRATION<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Intellectual property works involve the application of one\u2019s cognitive abilities to produce something new and original. The protection of these brainchildren is essential to ensure that the creator of a work gets due credit for his creation. A major challenge faced by musicians and artists in Nigeria is copyright piracy, which impedes an artist\u2019s capacity to profit from his song.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For musicians, songwriters, and composers, registering their work with the prescribed commission is not merely a legal formality but a crucial step in protecting their creations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we explore the requirements, costs and timelines for registering song copyrights with the Nigerian Copyright Commission (\u201cNCC\u201d).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. What are the available categories of registration done by the NCC?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The categories of copyright registrations done by the NCC are as those listed under the Copyright Act 2022. They are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. literary works;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. musical works;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. artistic works;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  4. audiovisual works;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  5. sound recordings; and<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  6. broadcasts.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Lyrics are part of musical composition. If fixed on paper, it is registered under the Literary Works category. Beats are registered under the Sound Recording category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    2. What are the requirements for registration of copyright in songs?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The requirements for registration are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Duly completed application form: The application form shall contain<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    2. Personal details of the artiste\/musician to include his full name, address, telephone number, date of birth, and email address;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    3. Title of work;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    4. Year of creation of work;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    5. Year of publication of work;<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    6. Country of publication;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
        \n
      1. a short synopsis of the lyrics of the song in a well-organized format to include the name and title of the song, and the vision and objectives for the song;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
          \n
        1. copy of the song composition written on paper (for the composition) and VCD, CD or digital file embodying the original sound recording of the song (for sound recordings).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

          3. What is the applicable cost of registration?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Generally, the fee for all categories is the same. The costs of registering the musical composition and sound recording are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          S\/N<\/td>Particulars<\/td>Costs (N<\/s>)<\/td><\/tr>
          1.<\/td>Musical composition<\/td>10,000<\/td><\/tr>
          2.<\/td>Sound recording<\/td>10,000<\/td><\/tr>
          3.<\/td>Miscellaneous Expenses<\/td>Available on request<\/td><\/tr>
          4.<\/td>Professional Fees<\/td>Available on request<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          4. What is the estimated timeline for completion of registration?<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          The average timeline for registration of a copyright is ninety (90) days. An applicant will receive an acknowledgement copy of the application within 24 hours of the application. Upon successful registration, an applicant will receive a Certificate of Approval.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Intellectual property works involve the application of one\u2019s cognitive abilities to produce something new and original. The protection of these brainchildren is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5512,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[471,371,472,430,473,474,475,476,477,478,479],"class_list":["post-6244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-publications","tag-copyrightprotection","tag-copyrightregistration","tag-entertainmentlaw","tag-intellectualproperty","tag-intellectualpropertyprotection","tag-intellectualpropertyrights","tag-ipprotection","tag-iprights","tag-music","tag-musicprotection","tag-recordlabel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6244","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6244"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6244\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5512"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6244"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6244"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koriatlaw.com\/2026\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6244"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}