From Godwin Tsa, Abuja
In a major breakthrough in the fight against piracy, the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), with the assistance of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), has secured the suspension of MovieBox.ng, an online site known for streaming pirated copyright materials, including movies, music, and live sports from Nigeria and other countries. This major breakthrough in the fight against piracy followed a renewed campaign mounted by the Commission against online piracy.
The suspension, which was effective from Saturday, July 20, 2025, has received commendation from rights owners’ associations in the movie, music, and broadcast industries. An elated Director General of the NCC, Dr John Asein, said the development is a practical signal that the Commission is serious about its renewed fight against online piracy.
In its preliminary report, the Commission described the illicit operations as suggesting a coordinated attempt to sustain piracy operations through clone or fallback domains. It also showed a coordinated effort by the website to evade detection and takedown by using multiple mirror domains to promote and gain access to copyright-protected content and a domain history that aligns with known piracy operations.
The Commission thanked NiRA, the Nigerian Registry for the top-level domain, for being responsive and called on other role players in the online space, especially Internet Service Providers and intermediaries, to always act responsibly and expeditiously to take down notices and blocking directives as required under the Copyright Act 2022.
Meanwhile, the Commission is also taking steps to ensure that other mirror sites for the platforms are deactivated. The Director General has again advised the public to be wary of pirate sites that promise free streaming and downloads, as they not only infringe on copyright but also target unsuspecting users who are exposed to malware, financial scams, identity theft, and other fraudulent activities.
The Copyright Commission had earlier in the year launched the Stand Together against Online Piracy (STOP) campaign, calling on all stakeholders – government agencies, ISPs, telecom operators, and industry leaders – to stand together as frontline enforcement partners to protect creative content and guarantee the country’s digital future.
Leave a comment