MILLICOM GHANA LTD vs. DN NETWORK GHANA LTD [2017]DLCA4617

Date	2017-11-16
Suit No.	CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/120/2017
Citation No.	[2017]DLCA4617

ACQUAYE J.A (PRESIDING)

DZAMEFE J.A.

AGYEMANG (MRS) J.A

MR. REGINALD NII ODOI FOR DEFENDANT / APPELLANT

MR. BAFFOUR GYAN BONSU ASHIA FOR PLAINTIFF / RESPONDENT

[2017]DLCA4617
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >MILLICOM GHANA LTD <o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF/RESPONDENT)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>DN NETWORK GHANA LTD&nbsp; <o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT/APPELLANT)<o:p></o:p><o:p>&nbsp;</o:p>[COURT OF APPEAL (CIVIL DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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CIVIL APPEAL NO: H1/120/2017&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;DATE: 16TH NOVEMBER, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL:<o:p></o:p>MR. REGINALD NII ODOI FOR
DEFENDANT / APPELLANT<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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MR.
BAFFOUR GYAN BONSU ASHIA FOR PLAINTIFF / RESPONDENT <o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:
<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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ACQUAYE
J.A. (PRESIDING), DZAMEFE J.A, AGYEMANG (MRS) JA&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</div><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
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padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>AGYEMANG JA:<o:p></o:p>In
this interlocutory appeal against the ruling of the High Court (Commercial
Division) Accra, delivered on 11th October 2016, the appellant seeks
twin orders: to set aside the ruling of the court below, and to grant the
defendant leave to amend its statement of defence.<o:p></o:p>These
are the matters antecedent to the appeal: <o:p></o:p>The
plaintiff/respondent (hereafter referred to as the plaintiff) by an amended
writ of summons sought alternative reliefs grounded on an alleged breach of
contract. More particularly, the plaintiff sought declarations that the
contract between the parties had been breached by the defendant. It also
claimed damages for the alleged breach, an order for payment of loss of
earnings, as well as an order for the payment of interest on the said sum. In the
alternative, the plaintiff sought a declaration that the defendant had
infringed the plaintiff’s copyright, and that it was entitled to accounts on
sums received under it, damages for the alleged infringement, and an order of
perpetual injunction restraining the said conduct by the defendant and its
privies.<o:p></o:p>It
was the case of the plaintiff company that in June 2007, one of its directors
who was also a shareholder, became the owner of the copyright of a software/application
by which mobile phone subscribers could borrow airtime to make emergency calls.
According to the plaintiff, in June 2008, it leased the copyright of the software/application
together with a proposal of the mobile airtime credit service to the plaintiff
for sixty years and that subsequent to this, the parties entered into two agreements:
a sales agreement and another referred to as the Mobile Value Added Service Agreement
(MVAS). It was the plaintiff’s pleading that these two agreements were breached
by the defendant when it failed to carry out its obligations thereunder, thus
disabling the plaintiff from carrying out its own obligations. The plaintiff
pleaded furthermore that the defendant allegedly proceeded, without reference
to the plaintiff, to use the service contained in the proposal, making it available
to its 1,800,000 subscribers per month for four years. <o:p></o:p>The
issues having been joined by the defendant, the trial proceeded and the
plaintiff closed its case. The defendant then called two witnesses. It was while
the defendant’s representative who was second to give evidence was giving his
evidence in chief, that the defendant applied for leave to amend its statement
of defence by inserting subparagraphs in its paragraph 27. The amendment was
sought in these terms:<o:p></o:p>