Runtown hit with fresh N267m lawsuit, risks losing stage name

Eric Many Entertainment, Runtown’s record label, says it has filed a fresh lawsuit against the ‘Energy’ singer for monies owed.

Both parties have been at loggerheads for the past few months in a tussle over an alleged breach of contract.

A statement released on Friday by Johnson Adumike, the label’s general manager, indicated that the initial injunction filed against Runtown was only for the “unapproved collaboration” he took part in.

“As you are aware, lately we have been in court with Runtown over copyrights issues with regards to two collabo videos he made without our prior approval,” the statement reads.

“Truly, the much-publicized legal action at the Federal High Court in Lagos was, contrary to what many believe, not on the entire contract we signed with Runtown. It was only on the unapproved collabo videos and we claimed general damages of about N65 Million for the copyright infringement.”

Adumike went on to explain that Runtown is not free from Eric Many as he has led the public to believe.

Also, like Kiss Daniel who recently changed his name to Kizz Daniel, the label is claiming rights to the name ‘Runtown’, saying it is licensed to Eric Many.

“We had thought that Runtown would see reason to retrace his steps on our contract following the ‘warning case’ on copyright infringement,” the statement read.

“This was not to be as he took to the social media, especially Twitter, dishing out insults on our Chairman, Prince Okwudili Umenyiora, boasting that he was no longer with Eric Many.

“His elder brother joined on Instagram boasting that his company ‘JSparrowMedia’ is now the person booking Runtown’s shows and no longer Eric Many.

“Under our contract, the professional name ‘Runtown’ and other names are licensed to Eric Many. Yet Runtown went to Trademarks Registry in Abuja and has been working to take the names from us.

“These and many other issues thrown up by the copyrights suit confirmed to us that indeed Runtown had walked out on us. We therefore decided to sue him for comprehensive breach of contract, to the sum of N266,694,755.”

Acknowledging that the contract between the artiste and the label is coming to its expiration, Eric Many insists on recuperating the money Runtown allegedly owes.

The statement also says Runtown is yet to release an album since he joined the label.

“While our contract is supposed to fall due for expiration on 22nd June 2018, Eric Many now has an outstanding balance of about N266,694,755.08 to recoup on our investment and expenses on Runtown’s career.

“He is also yet to deliver an album which the contract requires him to deliver to us during the contract period.

“The contract spells out the procedure for the production of the album. Runtown is yet to initiate the procedure, whilst he focuses on Abuja Trademarks Registry scheming on how to make us lose grip of his professional name.”

Eric Many said it has withdrawn the case against Runtown at the federal high court, Lagos, following the advice of its legal team.

“Last Wednesday, 23rd May 2018, following the advice of our lawyers, we withdrew our case at the federal high court on the collabos to have more time and focus to pursue the case of breach of contract,” the label said.

“Our lawyers had advised that since the breach of contract and recovery of our outstanding sum of N266,694,755.08 is a bigger picture, it would be more reasonable to drop the copyright case and focus our energy on the contract case.

“We accepted this advice and gave a go-ahead for the Lagos case to be withdrawn.”

Runtown is yet to respond to the fresh lawsuit.