Why Nigeria gospel music superstar dey face 5 billion naira court case over alleged copyright violation
Wia dis foto come from, therealsinach/Instagram
Osinachi Joseph Egbu, one of di biggest gospel musicians for Nigeria wey pipo know as Sinach, dey face ogbonge court case sake of accuse of copyright violations for her hit song 'Waymaker'.
Tori be say na one music producer, Michael Oluwole, carry di mata go Federal High Court for Lagos, asking di court to determine say im be co-owner and co-producer of di song, and make Sinach pay am 5 billion naira for allegedly violating im rights.
Di matter come up for hearing on Wednesday, November 27, 2024 bifor Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa.
Local tori pipo Guardian report say Oluwole, also known as Maye, for di affidavit wey im present for court, tok say im bin work as a studio engineer for di song 'Waymaker'.
According to Maye, im work for di song include recording, mixing, mastering, creating and performing instrumental accompaniments for di song like piano, strings, and synthesisers.
Maye also tok say im no transfer im performer’s rights even though dem no get any written agreement.
Maye, through im lawyer, Justin Ige, ask di court to order say all di money wey di song 'Waymaker' don generate go dey equitably divided between im and Sinach as co-owners.
Dem want make court compel Sinach to produce all di license and copyright assignments concerning di song 'Waymaker', and also account for all di money wey di song don make, and pay Maye im share.
Also, Maye and im lawyer want di court to issue a perpetual injunction wey go stop Sinach from reproducing, distributing, or publicly performing di song ‘WayMaker’.
But Sinach lawyer, Emeka Etiaba, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, tell di court say na she be di "sole author" of di song.
Etiaba say Sinach bin compose, arrange and perform di song wit some oda artistes bifor Maye bin get involved, and im involvement dey limited to mixing di master recording, and na service wey dem bin pay am for.
Di lawyer tok say Sinach no get any obligation to write wit Maye and e no dey entitled to any of di copyright benefits e dey claim.
Afta di arguments, Jusice Lewis-Allagoa adjourn to January 29 and 30 for continuation.
Dis mata no go be di first copyright violation allegation for di Nigeria music industry.
For 2016, Afrobeat singers popularly known as Tuface and Blackface bin get quarrel over copyright issues for di song 'African Queen'.
Blackface bin claim ownership of di song and Tuface bin sue am. However, dem later reach out-of-court settlement wia Blackface agree to stop to dey accuse Tuface of stealing im song and Tuface also agree to pay Blackface some royalty from di song.
A similar quarrel bin also happen between di singers popularly known as 'Danfo Drivers' and anoda Afrobeat star Tekno over di song 'Jogodo' wey e release for 2018.
Danfo Drivers claim say dat song na sampling of dia song 'Kpolongo' wey dem bin release several years ago. Na still out-of-court settlement dem later take die di mata.
Who be Sinach?
Wia dis foto come from, therealsinach/Instagram
- Her real name na Osinachi Joseph Egbu, she come from Edda, for Afikpo South local goment area of Ebonyi State, but her husband na from Ngwa community for Abia State, both for di southeast region of Nigeria. She and her husband get one daughter
- For one of her interviews wit BBC, she tok say she start to dey sing from small but "evritin change for me wen I become born again".
- She bin study Physics for di University of Port Harcourt but she abandon science and enta music immediately she graduate. According to her, na Pastor Chris Oyakhilome of Christ Embassy bin give her di first big break.
- Sinach big songs include Waymaker, I know who I am, Great are you Lord, Awesome God, etc
- She become di first singer-songwriter to top di Billboard Christian Songwriter chart for America for 12 weeks in a row
- For 2019, she also become di first African gospel singer to do a tour for India
About Waymaker
Sinach release di song Waymaker for 2015 and e go on to break many records for di world.
Waymaker na di third song by a Nigerian artist wey pass 100 million views for YouTube, and na di song also place Sinach for di top chart of America gospel songs for three straight months.
During di Covid-19 pandemic for 2020, Waymaker become di most played gospel song for America for di whole year becos di song dey give pipo hope and consolation as di deadly virus dey ravage di world.
Waymaker win Song of di Year for di GMA Dove Awards for 2020, and dat make Sinach di first Nigerian to win dat Award. She also win di BMI song of di year in 2021.
