The Copy Right Society of Nigeria (COSON) is leaving no stone unturned as they continue to safe guard the intellectual properties of its registered members in the entertainment industry.
In a bid to prove how determined they on this quest, the music body had dragged Nigeria’s foremost bank, First Bank Nigeria Limited to court in 2014 with a demand of Seven Hundred Million Naira (N700,000,000.00) in unpaid royalties and damages.
COSON accused the bank for copyright infringement with respect to the unauthorized use of several musical works and sound recordings communicated to the public, deployed and exploited as marketing, promotional and advertising materials and contained in First Bank’s video presentation, ‘Sights and Sounds of Carnival Calabar.’
In the Suit No. FHC/CS/L/530/2014, COSON had pleaded in its 29 paragraph Statement of Claim that First Bank of Nigeria Ltd. did not apply for or secure a license or any authorization whatsoever before exploiting, communicating to the public, publishing and deploying the musical works and sound recordings of the members of COSON and COSON’s assignors as included in, reproduced and contained in the video, ‘Sights and Sounds of Carnival Calabar’ deployed by First Bank in its marketing, promotion and advertising and posted on the internet.
With the commencement of the trial on Tuesday, March 17, 2015 before Hon. Justice Ibrahim Buba at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Mr. Justin Ige, lawyer to COSON, called his first witness, Mr. Chibueze Okereke who stated that while he could not ascertain the amount the bank made from the event, the ‘Calabar Carnival’ has developed into an international event and he was sure that it has added value to the bank.
