MTN Nigeria In Fresh Scandal Over Copyright Theft -By Agnes Idowu

MTN NIGERIA FACES ANOTHER IMPENDING COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT LAW SUIT OVER ILLEGAL USE OF CALLER RING TUNES SUPPLIED IT BY NEW WINGS MEDIA.

Mr Udoh, the CEO of New Wings Media has vowed to file a fresh lawsuit against MTN Nigeria over claims of infringement of his intellectual property rights, following a proposal he sent to MTN in 2012, offering to offer caller ring back tunes to MTN to sell to its subscribers. The Caller tunes featured football clubs in the premiership, la liga and national teams of some selected countries.

Mr Udoh stated that prior to his offer, neither MTN nor any other telecom company in Nigeria had ever used football fans themes as caller tunes and that after submitting the proposal, including samples of the tunes, renditions and lyrics to MTN in 2012, MTN went ahead and reproduced the tunes, sold it to subscribers at 50 naira weekly and refused to negotiate compensation with him.

He said after several attempts to get MTN to talk with him on a favourable resolution of the matter had failed due to MTN’s frivolous excuses of “investigating the matter” he had resorted to challenge the company and sue for the recognition of his rights as the developer/producer and copyright owner of the Football fans caller tune themes that MTN has been selling to subscribers and raking in enormous profits.

He vows to take the matter to the Supreme court, if necessary.