A Nigerian lawyer has urged veteran highlife singer Gentleman Mike Ejeagha to pursue legal action against skit maker Brain Jotter for using his song to generate millions of naira while offering only N2 million as compensation.
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The controversy arose after Brain Jotter initiated a search for the highlife singer following the viral success of a skit that featured Ejeagha’s song from 2010. The skit, which utilized the classic track, brought significant attention and revenue to Brain Jotter.
Taking to the X platform, the legal practitioner known simply as Nupe Lawyer highlighted the implications of copyright infringement. He argued that Ejeagha would benefit more from suing Brain Jotter than accepting the token amount of N2 million.
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“I hope the man has a good lawyer. You can’t use someone’s song for content raking millions and offer to give the man ‘2 million’ as if you are helping the man,” Nupe Lawyer wrote.
The post has since sparked mixed reactions from social media users:
- Some argue that the song had been dormant and hadn’t generated significant income in the last 14 years, thus justifying the compensation.
- Others believe that Brain Jotter’s use of the song without proper authorization constitutes a clear violation of copyright laws, warranting legal action.
It remains to be seen whether Mike Ejeagha will take legal steps or accept the offered compensation, setting a precedent for similar cases in the Nigerian entertainment industry.
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