Piracy: NCC shuts down moviebox.ng, vows crackdown on others

The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), has successfully secured the suspension of MovieBox.ng, a notorious website accused of illegally streaming pirated movies, music, and live sports.

In a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Mrs. Ijeoma Egbunike, announced that the website was taken down on July 20, 2025, as confirmed by the Commission’s Director-General, Dr. John Asein.

Dr. Asein noted that the action is part of a renewed crackdown on online piracy under the commission’s “Stand Together Against Online Piracy (STOP)” campaign, and has received broad support from stakeholders in Nigeria’s film, music, and broadcast industries.

“They use multiple mirror domains to access and promote pirated content, with domain histories linked to known piracy operations,” Asein said, describing the tactics used by MovieBox.ng to evade takedowns.

He praised NiRA for its prompt cooperation in suspending the domain and called on internet service providers, registrars, and intermediaries to take swift action on future takedown requests, in line with provisions of the Copyright Act, 2022.

The NCC disclosed that it is actively monitoring and working to disable other mirror sites and fallback domains associated with MovieBox.ng, to disrupt the broader piracy network.

The commission also issued a public advisory, warning users against patronizing illegal streaming platforms. Apart from violating copyright laws, such sites often expose users to malware, identity theft, and financial scams.

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