AI agents for business finance: what they can and can't do
What AI agents can do in bookkeeping, close, collections and compliance today, where a person must stay in charge, and how to judge a product.
The short answer
To sell or stream a Nigerian film in the US you need a licence from whoever owns the rights, usually the producer or a distributor, covering the US territory and each medium you plan to use. An exclusive licence is a transfer of copyright ownership under US law and is only valid in writing signed by the owner; recording it with the US Copyright Office within two months of signing abroad protects your priority.
Buying a DVD is not buying the right to sell it
Many Nigerians in the US have seen Nollywood titles sold at events, in shops or uploaded online. Owning a copy, or paying a Lagos marketer for a box of discs, does not give you the right to stream, copy or redistribute the film. Those rights stay with the copyright owner until they grant them, and the grant has to say what you may do, where and for how long. The safest approach is to treat every title as a separate deal with a named rights holder.
Who owns the rights
The rights holder is usually the production company, but a film may already have been licensed to a Nigerian or international distributor or a streaming service, sometimes exclusively for some territories. Before you pay, ask for:
- the chain of title: who made the film, who owns it now, and the written documents linking them
- a list of existing licences, by territory, medium and dates, so you know the US rights are free
- confirmation that music, footage and other material in the film was cleared for the uses you want
- the NFVCB classification certificate if the film was released in Nigeria (useful evidence of who presented it, though it is a Nigerian censorship approval, not a US licence)
The National Film and Video Censors Board says every film exhibited or distributed in Nigeria must be classified and lists separate distributor and exhibitor licences. Those rules govern Nigeria; they say nothing about US rights.
What the licence should say
- Territory
- United States, or a wider area such as North America, stated in words.
- Media
- Physical (DVD, Blu-ray), transactional digital (rent or buy), subscription streaming, ad-supported streaming, broadcast, public screenings. List each one you want.
- Exclusivity
- Exclusive or non-exclusive, for each medium.
- Term
- Start and end dates, and what happens to stock or listings after the term.
- Payment
- Flat fee, minimum guarantee against royalties, or revenue share, with reporting dates and the currency.
- Deliverables
- Master files, subtitles, artwork and who pays for them.
- Warranties
- That the licensor owns the rights and will indemnify you if a third party claims otherwise.
US law on transfers and recordation
The US Copyright Office's Circular 12 (revised September 2016) sets out the rules that matter most to a licensee:
- A transfer of copyright ownership, which includes an exclusive licence, is not valid unless it is in writing and signed by the owner of the rights or their authorised agent (section 204). A non-exclusive licence is not a transfer of ownership.
- Recording the document with the Copyright Office is voluntary, but it brings benefits: a public record and, where the work is registered and identified, constructive notice to everyone.
- Between two conflicting transfers, the earlier one generally wins if it is recorded within one month of signing in the US, or two months if signed abroad, or before the later one is recorded.
- Notarisation is not needed for recordation. A fee is charged per document; check the current fee on the Copyright Office site.
For a deal signed in Lagos, the two-month window is the one that applies. If a producer later sells the same US rights to someone else, prompt recordation is your protection.
Importing DVDs
If you bring in physical discs, they are imported goods. Products of Nigeria entering the US on or after 24 July 2026 carry a 12.5% Section 301 tariff unless an annex exemption applies, according to the USTR notice of 28 July 2026; whether recorded media is in an annex was not stated in the parts we read, so ask a customs broker. Our guide to importing Nigerian books and music covers classification and small parcels, and current US tariffs on Nigerian goods tracks the rates.
Paying the producer
Nigerian producers are often paid a flat licence fee for a fixed term, or a minimum guarantee recouped from royalties. Whichever you choose, state the currency, the exchange-rate basis if amounts are converted, the reporting period and what counts as revenue (net of platform fees or gross). Keep each royalty statement and proof of payment; disputes between licensor and licensee almost always turn on the numbers. Payments of US-source royalties to someone abroad can carry US tax reporting and withholding obligations, so ask your accountant before the first payment.
Steps
- Identify the rights holder and get the chain of title in writing.
- Agree territory, media, exclusivity, term and payment in a signed licence.
- If exclusive, record it with the Copyright Office within two months of signing abroad.
- Collect master files and subtitles under the deliverables clause.
- For DVDs, classify and price the import with a broker before ordering stock.
- Pay royalties on the agreed dates and keep the statements.
Where Pryme fits
Royalty payments to a Nigerian producer can be sent in naira from a Pryme Business Account, and invoicing helps if you sublicense screenings. A verifiable statement gives the licensor evidence of what was paid.
Questions people ask
Can I sell Nollywood DVDs I bought in Nigeria in the US?
Reselling the physical copies you bought is different from copying or streaming them. To copy, stream or distribute, you need a licence from the rights holder.
Does an exclusive film licence have to be in writing?
Yes. Under US law an exclusive licence is a transfer of ownership and must be in writing and signed by the owner or their agent.
How long do I have to record a licence signed in Nigeria?
To secure priority over a conflicting transfer, within two months of signing abroad, per Copyright Office Circular 12.
Is NFVCB approval enough to show a Nigerian film in the US?
No. NFVCB classification governs exhibition and distribution in Nigeria. US distribution needs a licence from the rights holder.
Sources
- US Copyright Office: Circular 12, Recordation of Transfers and Other Documents (rev. Sep 2016) · accessed Oct 2026
- National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) · accessed Oct 2026
- Federal Register: USTR notice of actions in Section 301 investigations of various economies (28 Jul 2026) · accessed Oct 2026
This article is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice. Products described are provided under the terms on this site and are subject to regulation and eligibility.