NCC Suspends MovieBox Over Piracy Concerns

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) announced that it had secured the suspension of MovieBox.ng, a website offering free streaming and downloads of movies, music, and live sports without permission from rights holders.

This action took effect on July 20, 2025 and was carried out in partnership with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).

How the NCC Took Action

Dr. John Asein, Director General of the NCC, explained that the Commission used its renewed anti-piracy campaign to identify MovieBox.ng’s operations.

Working with NiRA, the NCC obtained a court directive to suspend the site’s primary domain. The Commission is also moving to deactivate any mirror or fallback domains used to circumvent the takedown.

Risks Posed by Pirate Platforms

In its public statement, the NCC warned that sites promising free streaming often infringe copyrights and put users at risk of malware infections, financial scams, identity theft, and other fraud.

The Commission urged internet service providers and intermediaries to act quickly on take-down notices under the Copyright Act, 2022.

Industry Response and Next Steps

Rights-owner associations in the movie, music, and broadcast sectors praised the suspension as a positive move.

The NCC also reminded stakeholders of its Stand Together against Online Piracy (STOP) campaign, which calls on government agencies, ISPs, telecom operators, and content producers to work together to protect creative works and Nigeria’s digital future.