Justice Ifeoma Ojukwu of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court on Wednesday shifted proceedings on the N300m damages suit filed against communication giant, MTN, by an Abuja-based musician, Liberty Williams to February 10 and 11 2020.
In the suit filed before the court, Williams with stage name, “Pupayannis”, joined MTN Chief Executive Officer, Ferdi Moolman; Nowhere to Run Entertainment Ltd. and its Chairman, Emmanuel Abanah, as co-defendants.
The plaintiff is seeking a declaration of the court that the sale of the song he composed without his consent by MTN as ring tone constituted an infringement on his copyright.
The plaintiff had alleged that MTN, in collaboration with Nowhere to Run Entertainment Company, offered his song “Love is everything” to its millions of subscribers as a 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 Nowhere 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 favor.
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 a need to regularise the statement of defense and pleaded for time.
