Welcome to AUDIOVISUAL RIGHTS SOCIETY OF NIGERIA
Sole Collective Management Organization For Audiovisual Works In Nigeria
Something To know About Us
According to section 88 of the Nigerian Copyright Act, 2022, any public use of a copyright protected audiovisual works require a license. When such work is played in public, Screenwriters, Directors, Actors and Producers are entitled to remuneration. Without AVRS, businesses that use audiovisual works in their premises/facilities will have to get permission from every individual rightsholder for every audiovisual works they use, and they would have to pay each of them directly. This permission is not granted through the purchase of a audiovisual work, whether it is through a DVD, Hard or flash drives or any other device which only allows for private use of the purchased audiovisual works. AVRS simplifies this complex process through audiovisual copyright licenses obtainable from AVRS only. Research has proven that customers spend more time and money in bars, restaurants, lounges, barbing & hair dressing salons and other such business premises where they watch movies and other videos.
Who We Work With
Film Creators
These include producers, directors, writers of cinematograph works, as well as actors. who put all elements together to bring a film to life
Film Consumers
These are people, businesses or companies who use audiovisual works in a public or commercial setting in the course of doing business, these include; hotels, commercial buses, salons, offices, airplanes e.t.c
how it works
Film creators ( producers, directors, writers of cinematograph works, as well as actors.) are entitled to royalties every time their work is exploited in a public and/or commercial setting
AVRS collects money from public/commercial users such as Hotels, Salons, Restaurants, Airlines, Halls, Transport Facilities and many others. We then distribute this money to audiovisual works creators in form of royalties.
As an audiovisual work user, you need to apply for a license before deploying these works commercially.
As an audiovisual work Creator, you need to apply to become a member.
Frequently Asked Questions
Copyright may be defined as a monopoly right which the creator of an eligible work acquires as soon as such work is put in a tangible form and which right precludes all others from the exploitation of such work without the authorization of the creator for a specified period. It allows an original work to be considered a property that is owned by somebody. In Nigeria the following works are eligible for copyright protection by virtue of the Copyright Act (Cap. 28 LFN 2004); literary, musical, artistic, cinematograph and sound recordings.
If you own the copyright you possess the sole authority to:
- Reproduce the work in any material form
- Publish the work
- Perform the work in public
- Make any cinematograph film or a record in respect of the work.
- Broadcast or communicate the work to the public by projector/screen or other similar device
- Issue, sell or rent copies to the public [i.e. broadcasting it via TV, radio, Internet, etc.)
Membership of AVRS is drawn from producers, directors, writers of cinematograph works, as well as lead actors and actresses.
Audio Visual Rights Society of Nigeria (AVRS) is a company limited by guarantee and incorporated under the laws of Nigeria as a non-profit company. It is approved by the Nigerian Copyright Commission to operate as the sole Collective Management Organization (CMU) for cinematograph films in Nigeria, pursuant to the Copyright Act (Cap. 28 LFN 2004) and the Copyright (Collective Management Organizations) Regulations 2007. By the enabling acts, AVRS is authorized to license the public and commercial use of cinematograph/video works.
Read our Latest News
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Members of the Audio Visual Rights of Nigeria (AVRS) have expressed their satisfaction and pleasure at the achievements the organisation had recorded since its approval by the Federal Government as the sole Collective Management Organisation for...
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WE’RE GRADUALLY CHANGING THE BELIEF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY CAN BE USED FOR FREE
At the beginning, it was very tough getting users to change the way they disrespectfully treat intellectual property. To change this perception, we have had to travel throughout the length...
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AVRS WON’T RELENT IN ENGAGEMENT OF ITS WORKS USERS AS AGM HOLDS NOVEMBER
The Audio Visual Rights Society (AVRS) is set to hold its 6th Annual General Meeting (AGM), precisely on November 10, 2022. In this brief close-up with Mrs. Bukola Adeyemi, general...
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