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Așa Demands N300m For Copyright Infringement, Joeboy Reacts

Singer, Bukola Elemide, also known as Asa, has issued a copyright infringement notice to her colleague, Joseph Akinfenwa, aka Joeboy, over his recently-released song, “Contour”.

The notice, which was shared by Joeboy on his Instagram story on Monday, revealed that Asa demanded the sum of N300 million and gave a 24-hour ultimatum for the song to be removed from all digital streaming platforms.

The singer, through her management, also asked for a 60 per cent publishing split on the song, and a written apology, as seen in the notice.The notice dated September 30 read in part,

”It has been brought to our attention that your newly released song, Contour (the “Song”), infringes on the copyright of our Client, as recorded/captured in a musical composition (the “Composition”) which she created in a recording session, which took place on 22 September 2020, with the producer of the Song, Alageu Michael Chidozie (p.k.a Tempoe) in attendance.

“We, hereby, demand that you immediately remove the Song from all DSPs and any other platforms within twenty-four (24) hours of your receipt of this letter, with a written apology issued to our Client as well as halt any additional infringements of our Composition, including any other infringements.”

Reacting to the suit on his Instagram story, Joeboy said that people seemed to want to take him for a ride because he was quiet.

He further dared Asa’s management to take legal action and reminded them that the 24 hours notice had elapsed.

He said, “Cos I day always do love and light you think say I be soft meat. You said I have 24 hours, it’s been 48 hours, do something.”

A Federal High Court in Lagos, on Tuesday, March 2, adjourned a suit by Nigerian artiste, Bright Okiki against some telecommunication companies over alleged copyright infringement ro March 5 for continued hearing.

The defendants in the suit are Emerging Markets Telecommunication Services Ltd, Airtel, Globacom, and Mobilexcetra Ltd.

The plaintiff, who authored the song “Gba gbe boshe sele”, featuring Oritsefemi, alleged that the defendants used the said song as caller tunes without his authorisation.

In suit number FHC/L/CS/1776/17, the plaintiff is claiming N400 million cumulatively against the defendants for infringing on his intellectual property.

He is also asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining the defendants from continued use of his work.

The case, which was slated for continuation on Tuesday, could not proceed as the court, presided over by Justice Nicholas Oweibo, did not sit.

The case has now been fixed for March 5.

In his statement of claim, the plaintiff averred that he had paid to feature the star Artiste, Oritsefemi, in his song in order to get more acceptability.

He said that he was still working on promoting his song when people drew his attention to the fact that his song was now on caller tunes of some telecommunications companies.

According to him, he had downloaded the song from Airtel in order to be sure and had also found out from the Globacom website that his music was listed as caller tune.

He also downloaded the same from Globacom.

He said that his legal team had then printed them out as evidence before officially writing to the companies.

Meanwhile, in its counterclaim, the third defendant (Globacom) denies that it had committed any infringement on the plaintiff’s work.

It avers that the fourth defendant (mobileexcetera) had agreed to provide it with the caller tunes.

It added that it believed it had the authorisation of owners of the tunes.

Globacom avers that based on the fourth defendant’s memorandum of understanding with one Shetade Images on Feb. 13, 2017, it believed it could rely on the fourth defendant to provide it with the caller tunes.

It added that the same was supplied based on agreement.

The third defendant said that in the said memorandum, Oritsefemi, a co-copyright owner of the song, had given his consent.

The defendant, however, avers that the song has since been removed as caller tune and denies liability.

Also in its counterclaim, the first defendant also denies liability for any infringement citing a similar memorandum of understanding.