Govt destroys N10m pirated films, equipment

The government of Lagos State has destroyed illegal movies and equipment worth N10m.

The Executive Secretary, Lagos State Film and Video Censors Board, Mr. Dele Balogun, on Tuesday said the movies included pirated and unclassified local and international movies, as well as duplicating machines which were seized in a raid on some areas of the state.

He said, “The burning of the confiscated illegal movies was done to discourage people dealing in such items. It will be a continuous exercise to rid the state of the sale of such items. Those that were caught with the illegal films have been prosecuted.”

Balogun explained that the LSFVSB had clamped down on sellers of pirated and unclassified films in the Ijora and Ikorodu areas.

He said the government had been inundated with complaints from artistes about infringement of their intellectual property rights.

“We are aware of the consequences of this problem on the entertainment industry. The government is concerned about this trend, and one of the ways to assist the industry is to intensify effort against the practice and sale of such items,” Balogun added.

He reiterated government’s commitment to the growth of the entertainment industry, adding that no stone would be left unturned to achieve the growth.

Balogun urged practitioners in the film industry to always obtain film shooting permits from the agency for any shooting within the state.

He said obtaining the permit was a guarantee against harassment.