A Nigerian musician, Paul I.K. Dairo, has dragged a
telecommunications service provider, Etisalat, before a Federal High Court in
Lagos for allegedly infringing on his copyright. 
A Nigerian musician, Paul I.K. Dairo, has dragged a
telecommunications service provider, Etisalat, before a Federal High Court in
Lagos for allegedly infringing on his copyright. The multiple ward-winning
artiste asked Justice C.J. Aneke to compel Etisalat to pay him N200m for making
use of his hit-track, “Mosorire” without having obtained his authorization.
His grouse with the defendants stemmed from the alleged use
of the track “Mosorire” in the
defendants popular television reality show, tagged, “Nigerian Idol” for two consecutive years without paying him.
Joined with Etisalat in the suit marked FHC/ CS/581/2014 is
one Optima Media Group. Paul Play, in the affidavit filed in support of his suit
and deposed to by himself, averred that, “I
am the copyright owner of the work named and tagged “Mosorire”,
contained in my repertoire, exclusively for the jurisdiction of Nigeria and the
authority or permission to exploit such work can only be obtained from me. “However, the defendants being
an organizer of a television reality show tagged, “Nigerian Idol”caused
the use, adaptation and deployment of my said work titled, “Mosorire”
on the said show without my consent, and which was broadcast to several
millions of television viewers throughout the Federal Republic of Nigeria and
the rest of Africa for 2012 and 2013 editions.” The artiste said the
defendants particularly infringed on his copyright when they allowed one of the
contestants on the show to reproduce and perform his song in the glare of the
whole nation and beyond. Paul Play averred that as a singer and composer, he
was entitled to an annual fee of N100m on the said track, as commensurate with
his effort in putting the work together. He however averred that having made
use of his work without obtaining permission from him, the defendants had
caused him loss of income while “they
have made gains and improved on their own brand image.” The artiste therefore
sought a declaration of the court “that
the act of adaptation, deployment, public performance and exploitation of his
musical work titled
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