The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Hausa Service, has responded to Kano-based musician Abdul Kamal’s copyright infringement lawsuit. Kamal had taken legal action against the broadcaster in the Federal High Court in Kano, seeking N120 million in damages for the alleged unauthorized use of his soundtrack in the program ‘Daga Bakin Mai ita.’
In a counter affidavit, the BBC Hausa Service argued that since the plaintiff had quantified his claim in monetary terms, there was no need for the court to issue an interim order to halt the use of the soundtrack.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Bashir Ibrahim, stated in his motion on notice that the request for the court to award damages against the defendant was appropriate, emphasizing the necessity of specifying the relief sought when approaching the court.
“The court is not Father Christmas; you cannot go to the court barehanded without mentioning what you want the court to do for you. We initially filed an application for the court to stop the defendant from using our soundtrack,” the lawyer explained.
Justice N. M Yunusa adjourned the case to February 12, 2024, for further proceedings.
