CEO of Kennis music, Kenny ‘Keke‘ Ogungbe has come out hard on the piracy epidemic plaguing record labels and music makers in the country.
The showbiz impresario, whose label, like many others, has been severely battered by the activities of the piracy mafia, says a lasting solution to the menace may not be found until the Alaba International Market, believed to be the haven of pirates, and the headquarters of the multi-billion naira piracy industry, is shut down.
Ogungbe voiced his recommendation on Wednesday March 4 while he was a guest on Today on STV. “If the current Minister of Information and Communication could shut down a whole market in Anambra (when she was the DG OF NAFDAC), because of fake drugs, then I see no reason why Alaba should not be shut,” he said as the show came to an end.
He was responding to the presenter, Iretiola Doyle‘s question on the problems of piracy in the country.
Several entertainment industry executives have proffered different ways of getting out of the piracy quagmire, and the Copyright Commission continues to carry out regular raids on the market. But all the efforts have come to naught, as pirated CDs, DVDs and books continue to litter the streets; selling at cheap prices competing with original materials.
It is even more worrisome, according to industry professionals, that more of the pirates now double as legitimate marketers; and most times, labels who refuse to use their network have had their works massively pirated, to serve as a deterrent to others.
