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Federal High Court in Ikoyi finds Airtel Nigeria liable for copyright infringement
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Veteran songstress Veno Marioghae-Mbanefo wins ₦210m over unauthorised use of 1985 hit
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Court rules telecom firm violated Copyright Act by using song without consent or credit
The Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered Airtel Nigeria to pay ₦210 million in damages to veteran Nigerian singer Veno Marioghae-Mbanefo for infringing on the copyright of her 1985 hit song, Nigeria Go Survive.
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The judgment was delivered on Monday by Justice Ibrahim Kala, who held that the telecommunications company unlawfully used the song to promote its services without obtaining permission or properly acknowledging the artist as the copyright owner.
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Marioghae-Mbanefo had dragged Airtel to court through her lawyer, Rockson Igelige, seeking ₦350 million in cumulative damages for what she described as the unauthorised commercial exploitation of her intellectual property.
She asked the court to declare that Airtel breached her rights under Section 12 of the Copyright Act by deploying the song in advertisements aimed at subscribers without her consent, licence or approval.
The singer also contended that the use of the song for commercial promotion amounted to a clear violation of her copyright, having neither been credited nor compensated.
In his ruling, Justice Kala agreed with the plaintiff’s arguments and awarded damages against Airtel, describing the company’s action as a breach of existing copyright laws.
The judgment is widely regarded as a significant boost for the protection of intellectual property rights within Nigeria’s creative industry.
