Paul Play Drags MTN To Court

                                        

R&B maestro, Paul Play Dairo, has dragged telecomminucations giant, MTN and Ultima Studios to court over the unlawful use of his hit song, 'Angel of my life' in their reality TV show, MTN Project Fame West Africa.

According to Paul Play, his managemnet was hiring the legal services of Festus Keyamo chambers to serve both organisations the suit. . .

Ouch!

"Yes, it is very true that I am suing MTN and Ultima Limited for the unlawful use of my song. I have contacted my lawyers and they are on it" he said.

He is reportedly demanding a whooping sum of N500 million as compensation from both organisations. . .

Paydirt!

But in a swift reaction online, Ultima Limited claimed that it has made the statutory required payments due for the musical works for both local and international artisites used on the Project Fame Show.

"In the first two years, Ultima paid the Performing and Mechanical Rights Society Ltd/Gte (PMRS) – which was the government approved collecting agency at the time, for all musical works that Ultima used; and from the third year when PMRS became Copyrights Society of Nigeria (COSON), Ultima paid COSON for all the songs used in those years.

For the past five seasons of Project Fame  therefore, Ultima has annually made the statutory payments due and required for the use of musical works for both local and international artistes used on the Project Fame show. Ultima duly paid COSON for use of such music and as such if Paul Play has any issue with payment of royalties for the use of his musical works, it should be worked out with COSON and not Ultima nor MTN," Ultima management stated.

Paul's got a lot of balls going after MTN like that, but some would argue that he does indeed have a right: After all, you can't use an artiste's work without paying for it. . .

. . . But they said they paid. . . didn't they?

But not directly to Paul himself.

You know what this means. . .

Either someone's lying through their ugly teeth, or. . .

COSON's been holding out on artistes.

When the s**t finally hits the fan on this case, we're going to see a whole lot of crap go flying and revelations aplenty are going to come out of the woodworks.

All 'amebos' should tune up their ears and get ready. . .

This is gonna be big!