Reciprocal Extension of Copyright and National Treatment: Microsoft Corporation v Franike Associates Ltd

• Author: Ifeoluwa Ayokunle Olubiyi
• Citation: (2014) IPLJ 98
• Published date: 16 August 2019
• Pages: 98-108
• Date: 16 August 2019

RECIPROCAL EXTENSION OF

COPYRIGHT AND NATIONAL

TREATMENT: MICROSOFT

CORPORATION V FRANIKE

ASSOCIATES LTD

 

Lecturer, Faculty of L aw, Afe Babalola University

  

Copyright is a ter ritorial right in the sens e that it is granted by each

country base d on its national legislation. Internat ional treaties dealing with

copyright have harmon ised certain aspe cts of copyright protection including

           

  

provides that copyright prote ction shall be granted to all or iginal works

           

 

 

Microsoft Corp v Franike Asso Ltd1 ha s however brought to the fore

           

centres on the protect ion of a foreign work in Nigeria, is analysed in light

of the principle of national treatme nt under the Berne Convention and the

Agreement on Trade-Related Aspect s of Intellectual Property Rig hts (TRIPS

   

also considered in the light of thi s fundamental principle.

   

The law grants copyr ight protection to authors of creative and cultural works

in retur n for their intellectual and othe r investments in the creation of such

works. Copyright generally refers t o the exclusive rights granted by the

law to authors such as the rights of rep roduction, publication, performanc e,

translation, broadc ast, adaptation and distribut ion to the public.2 To b e eligible

 3

* LLB (Obafemi Awolowo) BL (Nigeria) LLM Advanced M asters in Intel lectual Prop erty Law and

Knowledge Management (M aastricht).

1 (2012) 3 NWLR [ pt 1287] 301.

2 C opyright Act, Cap C28, L aws of Federation of Nigeria, 200 4 (‘Copyright Act’) s 6.

3 C opyright Act s 1(2)(a).

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(2014) IPLJ 98

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