XIV - Cinematographic Works and Copyright in Nollywood

Summary

Most countries in Africa – with the exception of North African countries – were part of the global cinema system almost from inception. African countries were primarily importers and consumers of low-budget films from Hollywood, Bollywood and Hong Kong.¹ These films were outside of their usual cultural orientation even though they were entertaining. But that changed when Nigeria took a bold step with the development of Nollywood. This step, ironically, was not intentional: a businessman (Kenneth Nnbue) found it difficult to sell a consignment of video cassettes due to newer versions of video cassettes on the market.² He was ingenious enough to invest in the production of a film in Igbo language titled Living Bondage. Then he sold copies of this film on his cassettes. The sale of these cassettes resulted in a new trend in filmmaking now known as Nollywood. While a few African countries have developed their film industries to a limited extent, Nigeria appears to be ahead of the pack with the success stories of Nollywood.