Agency operators urged to explore benefits of Intellectual Property
Business operators across Nigeria’s creative industry, more especially, advertising agencies have been advised on the need to explore opportunities offered through rights of Intellectual Property (IP) as a way towards expanding upon their business frontiers.
And in the face of apparent lack of knowledge by industry operators on matters of Intellectual Property, the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) has been urged to work closely with experts in the field and enlighten its member agencies on the legal rights they have.
Making this call was the Managing Director/CEO at Noah’s Ark, Lanre Adisa while delivering a keynote speech recently at the premier workshop on IP rights in advertising and media organised by Gee Law firms in Lagos.
According to the agency boss, one of the obvious challenges in the industry is the general lack of adequate knowledge in matters relating to IP, hence he said, a focus on the subject was one way to expand upon the business frontiers, especially in the face of continuous shrinking budgets and debilitating fragmentations witnessed in the industry.
“As long as we work in the creative industry it is in our best interest to be aware of IP and its different manifestations. It is not to be in a state of perpetual trepidation out of fear of infringement. It is for us to be aware of how IP laws and provisions can protect us as creators.
“If we consider the potency of ideas and the transformations brands do experience as a result of such ideas, we may then be able to appreciate the need for the protection of our IP”, adding that “being well counseled is very critical when we consider the fact that in today’s world, content is king”.
He added: “Understanding the dynamics of IP will help us diversify our portfolio in a way that makes us less reliant on clients. The truth is content lives forever; having control over it allows us to monetize our ideas in a manner that keeps yielding.”
Speaking further, he said what the industry operators needed to do was to go beyond the fear of infringement of IP matters which may bring with it litigations, but rather procure expert advice to be able to reduce such occurrences.
“It is imperative on us as players in the creative industry to think different and avail ourselves of the protection and benefits of understanding the dynamics of IP.
“This is not just a pipe dream. It requires a rethink of our old models. It demands that we enrich our core offering by embracing technology and all its unimaginable possibilities,” he said.
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