A N500 million copyright infringement action against rapper Kcee, businessman E-Money, and their record label, Five Star Music Limited, was dismissed by a federal high court in Lagos.
On Monday, Judge Kehinde Ogundare found that the plaintiff, Nigerian musician Jude Nnam, failed to submit reliable evidence to substantiate his claim.
Nnam accused Kcee of sneakily adding his songs “Som Too Chukwu,” “Otito Diri Chineke,” and “K’ Anyi Jee N’ Ulo Chukwu” to his album Cultural Praise Vol. 1 without permission.
Nnam requested that the court confirm that the three defendants had violated his copyright by using and advertising his songs without permission.
He also claimed payment of royalties, a stop to the infringement, and N500 million in damages, coupled with N5 million in legal fees. Kcee and E-Money denied all of Nnam’s claims, calling them “frivolous” and an extortion attempt.
In addition to dismissing the case, Judge Ogundare ordered Nnam to pay N1 million in punitive costs.
The lawsuit had been ongoing since 2021.
