Burna Boy hit with N20m lawsuit for ‘copyright infringement’

Insecta Studios, a creative firm, has slammed Aristokrat singer Burna Boy with a N20 million suit for alleged copyright infringement.

Insecta Studios claims that Burna Boy made use of its artistic work for commercial gains without its consent or remuneration.

Burna boy was said to have reached out to Insecta Studios to design a zombie artwork.

The creative firm claims that Burna Boy’s management stopped responding to their messages after receiving some sketches for consideration.

The design, according to Insecta Studios, was later used as a back-drop of his performance at Essence Festival in South Africa.

The singer and his record label were joined in the suit filed on Tuesday at a federal high court, Ikoyi, Lagos.

In the suit, the company is seeking a declaration “that the copyright of the plaintiffs in respect of the artistic work sent by the Plaintiffs to the 3rd Defendant on 1st November, 2016 was infringed upon by the defendants jointly and severally”.

“An injunction restraining the defendants, their assigns, agents or privies from further using of the said artistic work in the future without the consent and approval of the plaintiffs.

“An order for the payment of ₦20,000,000 (Twenty Million Naira) being general damages for infringement of the plaintiffs’ copyright and for using the plaintiffs’ artistic work for commercial gains.

“An order of the honourable court compelling the defendants to publish a public apology in a reputable national newspaper for infringement of the plaintiffs’ copyright.

“An order compelling the defendants to publicly acknowledge the plaintiffs’ copyright and authorship of the artistic work in a reputable national newspaper and on the defendants’ social media platforms.”

Burna Boy’s management recently denied that the singer was hit with an injunction from the New York supreme court.

The alleged injunction, filed by Vibesland Entertainment, his former promoter, was to prevent him from performing in the US.