NCC Cracks Down on Online Piracy, Shuts Multiple.NG Music Platforms

A number of.ng domain names that were allegedly involved in extensive online music pirate activities including both Nigerian and foreign music have been suspended by the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC).

The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) requested the move, which was implemented in cooperation with the Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NiRA), the organization in charge of managing.ng domains.

After it was discovered that the impacted websites—val9ja.com.ng, tunesloaded.com.ng, voxnaija.com.ng, music.360media.com.ng, medianub.com.ng, naijalevels.com.ng, and mp3juice.com.ng—were distributing unlicensed music and audiovisual works, their registrars took them offline.

The NCC’s Special Taskforce against Online Piracy (STOP) claims that the websites were unlawfully disseminating copyrighted information, robbing investors and producers of money, and damaging respectable online platforms.

The intervention, according to the commission, is a component of its continuous enforcement campaign under the Copyright Act 2022, which gives it the authority to look into and stop online copyright offenses on websites, streaming services, and digital distribution channels.

The suspension of the domains, according to Dr. John Asein, Director-General of the NCC, sends a clear message that Nigeria would not put up with digital piracy. He assured rights holders that the NCC is collaborating with national and international partners to bolster anti-piracy operations while praising NiRA and the participating registrars.

The Commission is still ready to take action against any copyright violators in order to safeguard Nigeria’s creative economy, he said, urging the public to report suspicious websites via stop.copyright.gov.ng.

“To protect Nigeria’s creative space and its digital future, the Nigerian Copyright Commission remains vigilant and fully prepared to take decisive action against all forms of copyright infringement,” Asein stated.