International Intellectual Property Management: Protecting Nigerian Music and Film Content in the Global Market

This paper examines the international intellectual property management strategies available to Nigerian music and film content creators for protecting their work in global markets, drawing on the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty, and national copyright laws of major market jurisdictions. Nigeria's creative industries, particularly the Afrobeats music sector centred in Lagos and the Nollywood film industry with significant production in Onitsha and Asaba, generate substantial cultural and economic value, yet creators frequently lose revenue through piracy, unlicensed streaming, and exploitation by foreign distributors. Using a professional IP management methodology, the research analyses the legal mechanisms available for copyright registration, collective rights management, licensing, and enforcement in Nigeria, the UK, the US, and streaming platform jurisdictions. It evaluates the performance of the Nigerian Copyright Commission in managing the country's international copyright obligations and reviews the practical tools available to creators including digital rights management systems and content ID enforcement on streaming platforms. The paper also examines collective management organisations such as the Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) and assesses their effectiveness in collecting and distributing royalties internationally. Findings indicate significant revenue leakage for Nigerian creators attributable to weak international enforcement and inadequate collective licensing infrastructure. Recommendations include mandatory copyright registration incentives, enhanced COSON capacity for international royalty collection, and stronger bilateral copyright enforcement agreements with streaming platform jurisdictions. Keywords: copyright, Nollywood, Afrobeats, WIPO, intellectual property management.