NMJ ENTERTAINMENT AND ENOCH ALOTEY (PLAINTIFF) vs. RLG COMMUNICATIONS (DEFENDANT) JERFIX IDS, JERRY JIRIKU AND RICHARD AMOAKO (1ST, 2ND,3RD THIRD PARTY) [2017]DLHC7305

NMJ ENTERTAINMENT AND ENOCH ALOTEY (PLAINTIFF) vs. RLG COMMUNICATIONS (DEFENDANT... [2017]DLHC7305

Date	2017-04-06
Suit No.	SUIT NO. IPR/15/13
Citation No.	[2017]DLHC7305

HIS LORDSHIP GEORGE K. KOOMSON (J).

DR. KWEKU AINUSON FOR PLAINTIFFS

KWAME AMANKWAH-TWUM FOR DEFENDANT

[2017]DLHC7305
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													<main id="main" class="content" style="min-height: 60rem" >NMJ
ENTERTAINMENT AND ENOCH ALOTEY<o:p></o:p>(PLAINTIFF)<o:p></o:p>vs.<o:p></o:p>RLG
COMMUNICATIONS<o:p></o:p>(DEFENDANT)<o:p></o:p>JERFIX IDS,
JERRY JIRIKU AND RICHARD AMOAKO<o:p></o:p>(1ST, 2ND,3RD
THIRD PARTY)<o:p></o:p>[HIGH COURT (COMMERCIAL
DIVISION), ACCRA]<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

SUIT
NO. IPR/15/13&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; DATE:
6TH APRIL, 2017<o:p></o:p>

</div>COUNSEL: <o:p></o:p>DR.
KWEKU AINUSON FOR PLAINTIFFS<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
padding:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in">

KWAME
AMANKWAH-TWUM FOR DEFENDANT<o:p></o:p>

</div>CORAM:<o:p></o:p>HIS
LORDSHIP GEORGE K. KOOMSON (J).<o:p></o:p><div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border-top:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
border-left:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.5pt;border-right:none;
padding:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">

<p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;
text-align:center;line-height:115%;border:none;mso-border-top-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;
mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext 1.5pt;padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:1.0pt 0in 1.0pt 0in">JUDGMENT<o:p></o:p>

</div>By their writ of summons, the Plaintiffs claim
against the Defendant the following reliefs:<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">1.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Perpetual
Injunction restraining the Defendant by themselves or by their servants or
agents or otherwise howsoever from further infringing the copyright of the Plaintiff’s
in the song ‘wedding day’.<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">2.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
GH¢200,000.00
being damages for copyright infringement on the basis of widespread
distribution of Plaintiffs’ ‘wedding day’ song. <o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">3.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
General
damages for breach of contract<o:p></o:p><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;,&quot;serif&quot;;
mso-fareast-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;;mso-bidi-font-family:&quot;Book Antiqua&quot;">4.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Costs
including legal fees. <o:p></o:p>The case of the Plaintiffs is that the 2nd
Plaintiff, a musician, composed a song called the ‘wedding day’. It is the
contention of the Plaintiffs that at the time the 2nd Plaintiff
composed the ‘wedding day’ song, the 1st Plaintiff had a management
contract with the 2nd Plaintiff. It is the case of the Plaintiffs
that the Defendant without authorization and consent of the Plaintiffs made
adaptations and sampling of the ‘wedding day’ song’s instrumentals under the
same title ‘wedding day’ and published same or caused same to be published as
the default ringing tone of the Defendant’s android mobile phones. The Plaintiffs
contend further that the said android phones were widely sold by the Defendant
in Ghana and also sold in other West African and East African markets. It is
therefore the case of the Plaintiffs that the unlawful and unauthorised use of
the 2nd Plaintiff’s ‘Wedding Day’ song has had the effect of
reducing the value as well as any market potential in the song whereas the Defendant
is directly benefitting as the said song adds promotional value to the
marketability of the Defendant’s android phones. The Plaintiffs further contended
that the unauthorised use of the ‘Wedding Day’ song by the Defendant has
deprived the Plaintiffs of any substantial benefit in the copyright of the
song. This the Plaintiffs contend is an infringement of their Plaintiffs
copyright and has occasioned the lowering of the commercial value and the
market prospects of the song. <o:p></o:p>