Frequently asked questions

1. To represent authors and right holders in the literary field so that they can better manage their copyright and receive recompense for the secondary exploitation of their works.
2. To negotiate licences on behalf of its members, collect royalties due to them and distribute them in a transparent, fair and expeditious manner.

It is practically impossible for authors to monitor all the places where their works are used and to negotiate payment terms with each user. REPRONIG steps in to represent right holders collectively.

REPRONIG is a non-profit organisation registered as a company limited by guarantee. It is member-based and receives royalty payments on behalf of authors and right holders. Any money received by way of royalties is distributed to the owners of the rights (authors and publishers). The entire process is transparent and supervised by the Nigerian Copyright Commission.

Yes. REPRONIG is a member of the International Federation of Reproduction Rights Organisations (IFRRO), whose member RROs represent authors and publishers from all major countries of the world. On a reciprocal basis, the rights of REPRONIG members are also protected in the countries where it has representation agreements.

Yes. As an example, in 2014 the Jamaica Copyright Licensing Agency (JAMCOPY), the equivalent of REPRONIG in Jamaica (a country of about 2.9 million people), disbursed $28.5 million in royalties on behalf of 437 creators and 36 publishers. There is no reason why REPRONIG cannot make a difference in the lives of authors and publishers in Nigeria, with a student population of over 16 million spread across more than 400 tertiary institutions.

Membership of REPRONIG is open to individual authors, right holders and associations of right holders of literary works. Any author, publisher or assignee of a literary work (novels, stories, poetic works, plays, scripts, textbooks, essays, anthologies, law reports, computer programs and so on), whether in electronic or print format, is eligible to become a member. Members mandate REPRONIG to act on their behalf.

No. If you belong to an affiliate association such as ANA, NPA, SNA or ANFAAN, select it during registration and your association’s officers will review your application first. If you do not, choose the independent route and the REPRONIG Secretariat will review it directly. The requirements are the same on both routes.

A valid email address, a government-issued ID, proof of address and your bank details for royalty payments. To add works to the repertoire you will need images of each work’s front cover and copyright page, together with details such as the ISBN or ISSN.

Yes. The REPRONIG member app for Android and iOS lets you register, complete your KYC, sign your mandate, submit works and track your application. Everything you do in the app is also available in the Rightsholder Portal on the web.

As a reproduction rights organisation, REPRONIG licenses secondary uses of print and digital materials such as photocopying, scanning of literary content, document delivery services and any other activity that would otherwise amount to an infringement of the exclusive rights in those works.

Subject to the exceptions provided for in the Copyright Act, any person or institution that is involved in, or whose staff or students are likely to be engaged in, photocopying, scanning or digital reproduction of published materials. This includes educational institutions, corporations, research institutes and government agencies.

By obtaining a single blanket licence from REPRONIG, an institution is assured of cost-effective, low-risk access to the reproduction of all the works described under the licence. Since an institution may be held vicariously liable for copyright infringement by lecturers, students or other persons within its control, a licence provides a safety net. E-library facilities are also based on licensing, and failure to obtain such licences exposes the institution to risk.

The alternative is for the institution to approach each author or copyright holder, local and foreign, to negotiate separate licences with them. This would be cumbersome, expensive and practically impossible. A REPRONIG blanket licence removes the need for those separate negotiations.

For tertiary institutions the annual fee is proportional to the number of students declared each year. The institution submits its declaration on the Institution Portal, REPRONIG validates it, and an invoice is generated automatically from the applicable fee plan.