Printing Press Regulation Law

1. Citation. This Law may be cited as the Printing Press Regulation Law.

2. Interpretation. In this Law- "book" includes any volume, part or division of a volume, or any collection of printed sheets of paper or similar material bound together; "paper" includes any printed sheet of paper or similar material or any unbound collection of printed sheets of paper or similar material; "printed" as applied to books and papers, means produced by printing lithography, or any other like process and "printing" and "printer" have corresponding meanings.

3. Keeper of printing press to make declaration. (1) From and after the doming into operation of this Law no person shall keep in his possession any press for the printing of books or papers who shall not have made and subscribed the following declaration before a magistrate- "I, A.B., declare that I have a press for printing at ................................................. " (and this last blank shall be filled up with a true and precise description of the place where such press is situated). (2) As often as the place where such press is kept is changed, a new declaration shall be made. (3) It shall be the duty of the magistrate upon receiving any declaration made as aforesaid to deal with the same as prescribed by regulations made under the provisions of this Law. (4) Any person who shall keep in his possession any such press without making such declaration as is prescribed by subsection (1) in respect of such press shall be liable to a fine of two thousand naira or imprisonment for a term of six months or to both such fine and imprisonment. For the purposes of this section the occupier of any premises in which any such press is found shall be deemed to have kept the same in his possession, unless he proves the contrary. (5) Any person who shall, in making such declaration as aforesaid, make a statement which is false, and which he either knows or believes to be false, or does not believe to be true, shall be liable to the punishment prescribed by subsection (4).

4. Printed book or paper to bear name of printer and publisher. (1) Every book or paper printed within Delta State which shall be intended for publication or dispersal shall bear upon the front page, if the same be printed on one side only, or upon the first or last leaf of every book or paper which shall consist of more than one leaf, in legible characters in the English language the name and address of the printer and (if the book or paper be published) of the publisher and the place of publication. (2) Nothing in this section contained shall be taken to repeal, alter, or in any way affect the provisions of section 14 of the Newspapers Laws as regards the particulars required by the said section to be printed on newspapers. [Cap. N2.] (3) Any person who shall print or publish any book or paper in contravention of the provisions of this section shall be liable to a fine of two thousand naira or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one year or to both such fine and imprisonment.

5. Power to make regulations. The Executive Council may make regulations- (a) excluding any book or paper or any class of books or papers or any printing presses from the operation of the whole or any parts or part of this Law; (b) for the disposal, recording and registration made under section 3; (c) for the notification by owners of printing presses to a prescribed authority of the destruction or transfer of such presses; (d) generally for carrying any of the purposes of the provisions of this Law into effect.