Cybercrime as a detrimental act to African cinema: A case study of Nollywood

Cybercrime is one of the ultimate challenges in most industries. The modern era has introduced internet connectivity as a technological advancement that can easily distribute, control and disseminate information throughout the universe, thus changing the traditional form of operating business. Most industries are now operating online to advertise or sell their products and services. The introduction of e-Commerce has been a great development in film industry as it opened new efficient distribution channels at a very low cost. However, this new development has largely contributed in exacerbating the practice of piracy as film consumers can now easily access films from different platforms, including illegal websites. This has resulted in a great loss of profits and negativity, not only in Nollywood but also in Hollywood, Bollywood and other film industries. Most of these film industries are now operating in a cyberspace where data can be easily intercepted and manipulated by perpetrators who pose as a trustworthy representative of a film company and make money from people at the expense of filmmakers. This paper sets out to investigate on the origins, forms and causes of cybercrime, and offer possible solutions to minimize cybercrime in order to maximize films' profits.