Why Stealing of Jokes Is So Much In This Industry - Funnybone

Plagiarism (meaning "stealing someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as your own") is one of the most annoying and prevalent problems that the entertainment industry faces today. While one industry (the music industry) has been able to do quite a good job of regulating plagiarism, the rest of the entertainment industry is still largely unregulated. In comedy for example, people can just take jokes they like from comedians, recite it as their own and post online or use at events. It is stealing, it is plagiarism, and it is wrong.

Not too long ago, a comedian by the name of Baba De Baba accused Youtuber Mark Angel of stealing his jokes. He blasted Mark Angel saying: "If you know Mark Angel tell him to stop using comedians jokes to shoot skits because the God that blessed him can also give him the brain to be original. I sent him a message on WhatsApp and he read and ignored, I called and he didn’t pick. All I told him is that he should delete the episode 100 from his YouTube account and also from his hard drive because it is my intellectual property. That’s what he does, he shoots comedians jokes and he doesn’t feel bad about it because comedians don’t tell him to his face. I have peacefully told him and his forming big boy. I think he has not heard my story, let him go and ask comedians that used my jokes what I did to them, I dey use belt flog them for shows"

One comedian speaking about this issue of plagiarism is popular comedian Funnybone. During a conversation with Channels Television, Funnybone expressed his frustration about what is going on. Here is what Funnybone said.

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Speaking about plagiarism (i.e. stealing of jokes) in the industry, Funnybone said:

We've not been able to you know, address this issue. Shoutout to those of us that do music, it's been sorted out. Nollywood is still trying to battle it. But for we as comedians, I think it's coming to come. A change will come when it's right. But for now, it's still there, it still happens. And there's basically nothing we can do about it other than know that the audience understand the talent. They know who can do this and who can do that. They know those who are truly gifted and talented. So that's basically what we have now. But there's no (help). I don't know, it's sad. It's annoying, but what can we do about it? There's nothing like a framework or a body set aside to regulate these things. We're just trying to get better and grow as a young industry.

What do you think about what Funnybone said, and what do you think about this trend of plagiarism and stealing of jokes in the industry? Do you think it's a big deal that should be addressed or do you think people are over-reacting and it is not that serious? Let me know what you think by leaving a comment either below or on my Jide Okonjo Facebook post.

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