Femi Adebayo wins copyright infringement battle against online TV

• Femi Adebayo has won a copyright infringement case against a YouTube channel.
• The case has been in court since 2021 but in a recent judgment, the filmmaker was awarded N25m against the channel.
• The online TV had used the title of his movie to promote another movie on YouTube, thereby deceiving fans and diverting money meant for the filmmaker.

Actor and filmmaker Femi Adebayo has won a copyright infringement case against Murfy Ben International, a YouTube channel.

The Jagun Jagun producer made this known in a statement on Tuesday, May 7, in which he highlighted the negative effects of piracy.

Recall that in 2021, Femi Adebayo dragged the online TV to court to a Federal High Court in Ibadan over the copyright of his movies.

The petitioner, through his counsel, Mr Y.B. Adebowale, had alleged that Aforefo TV specialised in defrauding members of the public by using the title of newly-released movies to advertise old ones.

The actor further said that Murfy Ben International Limited used Survival of Jelili, the title of the film he produced in 2019, to promote Kodi Ologbon-Aye which he released in 2015.

However, in his statement in Tuesday, Femi Adebayo who announced the end of the trial, said he was awarded N25 million.

He wrote in parts:

“Several times, I have been a victim of movie pirates and never spare them. I recently concluded a legal battle with a notable media company that owns a big radio station and also engages in youtube content distribution.

During the cinema run of “Survival of Jelili” in 2019, my movie was gathering good numbers at that time. They decided to use my movie poster and title to promote a movie on their platform, thereby deceiving fans and diverting revenue accrued to me.

“It took 3 years, but my trust in the legal and justice system remained unwavering. With the dedication of our legal team, Bola Adebowale & Co Legal Practitioners, who are seasoned professionals with wealth of experience in handling such cases. They presented undeniable evidence, put up a strong argument, and took the case to trial. Their promptness, efficiency, and attention to detail played a huge part in the direction of the case. We won and were awarded a total of Twenty Five Million Naira.

“This isn’t just my win as a filmmaker and content producer but a win for all of Nollywood. We need to be ready to fight IP theft and piracy at all levels. Every win brings us closer to protecting and getting the true economic value of our works.”