Court Adjourns Hearing On N300 Million Copyright Suit Against MTN

The Federal High Court, Abuja, on Wednesday adjourned until Feb. 10 and Feb. 11, a N300 million damages suit filed by an Abuja-based musician, Liberty Williams, against MTN.

Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu fixed the dates for hearing in the suit.

In the suit filed before the court, Williams with stage name, “Pupayannis”, joined MTN Chief Executive Officer, Ferdi Moolman; No Where to Run Entertainment Ltd. and its Chairman, Emmanuel Abanah, as co-defendants.

The suit filed by Remedium Law Partners (formerly Felix Igelige and Associate Law Partners) on behalf of the plaintiff, asked the court to declare that the sale of the song he composed without his consent by MTN as ring tone constituted infringement on his copyright.

The plaintiff had alleged that MTN, in collaboration with No Where to Run Entertainment Company, offered his song “Love is everything” to its millions of subscribers as ring tone and caller tune without his consent.

In a statement of claim, the plaintiff said he wrote, composed and financed the production of the song in July 2013, three months before he entered into an agreement with No Where to Run Entertainment Ltd.

He contended that he did not, at any time, surrender the master tape and the right of the song to the entertainment company and its chief executive.

The plaintiff prayed the court to award N200 million as general damages and N100 million as aggravated and punitive damages in his favour.

Justice Ojukwu, however, adjourned the case until Feb. 10 and Feb. 11 on the grounds that counsel to third and fourth defendants said that there was need to regularise the statement of defence and pleaded for time.

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