Ghanaian voice-over artist and founder of Chale Wote Arts Festival, Mantse Aryeequaye has called out legendary hiplife artist Obrafour for single-handedly filing a copyright infringement lawsuit against Drake on a project he (Mantse Aryeequaye) has an interest in without his notice.
Mantse, who is known to have voiced “Killer Cut”, the sample which is the subject of the copyright infringement in the Obrafour v Drake lawsuit in a series of tweets registered his disappointment at fellow Ghanaian creative for filing the suit without his notice.
Before directing his displeasure at Obrafour, Mantse Aryeequaye advised Drake and his attorneys to consult his lawyers regarding claims for compensation for the use of the intellectual property.
He wrote;
Hello @Drake the intellectual property more specifically the 'KILLER CUT’ sound which was sampled in your song "Calling My Name" belongs to me Mantse Aryeequaye and not to @IamObrafuo.
— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
2. @Drake Rights to the said 'KILLER CUT’ sound were never relinquished to @IamObrafuor and was used
by Edward Nana Poku Osei aka Hamma, Producer of Obrafuors album on Obrafuor’s song
as he did with others.— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
. @Drake I Mantse Aryeequaye maintain my intellectual property rights and claim over all my artistic works
including the "Killer Cut" sound you sampled off "Oye Ohene" remix used on Obrafuor’s album.— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
3. @Drake my lawyer Kofi Bentil esq. of Lex Praxis Incorporated kbentil@lexpraxis.net who is pursuing this matter has informed me of a lawsuit against you solely in the name of @IamObrafuor .
— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
4. @Drake This is to confirm I [Mantse Aryeequaye] insist that
although @IamObrafuor has interest in the matter, he is not the owner of the right, and cannot
assert it, definitely not alone, or make any demands for sole compensation for its use.— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
5. @Drake I wish to convey firmly as owner of the right and request that you consult my lawyer Kofi Bentil kbentil@lexpraxis.net
before you take any
steps regarding claims for compensation for the use of the intellectual property of Mantse Aryeequaye. You've been notified.— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
Hi Mike @iamobrafour I'm disappointed at your actions. Would be good to tell the public the truth about this matter or I will be forced to lay out how you've never paid a dime for any of my works on your songs over the last 20yrs.
— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
Mike @iamobrafour please tell your coons
I've been trying to get you to meet my lawyers since @Drake released that song. You cannot claim compensation on my intellectual property that you also didn't pay for. We can revert to what I suggested last year and keep it moving.— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
For the record @iamobrafour filed a law suit to lay claim to my intellectual property without notification. Mike I expect you to tell the truth about this matter or I will .
— #ChaleWote2023 (@Accradotalt) April 19, 2023
On Wednesday, April 19, 2023, legendary Ghanaian rapper Obrafour sued popular Canadian rapper Drake for sampling his 2003 remix of ‘Oye Ohene’ on his song ‘Calling My Name’ off the Honestly Nevermind album.
In the documents presented to a court in New York, Obrafour stated that Drake infringed on his copyright when he sampled his song without permission.
“Defendants released the Infringing Work on June 17, 2022, despite the fact that an agent of one or more Defendants had previously contacted Obrafour seeking to obtain Obrafour’s permission for the use of the Copyrighted Work in the Infringing Work.”
“Obrafour never granted Defendants permission to use the Copyrighted Work and the Infringing work was released mere days later,” parts of the document read.
The Ghanaian rapper indicated that Drake and other defendants following the release of ‘Calling My Name’ has greatly benefited from his work.
“To date, over the mere 304 days that have elapsed since the Infringing Work was released, the Infringing Work has already been streamed over 4.1 million times on YouTube, streamed over 47,442,160 times on Spotify, and streamed tens of millions of times on Apple Music.”
“In addition to generating enormous sums of global streams and sales across numerous platforms, the Infringing Work has also been exploited by the Defendants via other means, including live performance.”
Among others, Obrafour is seeking damages in an amount not less than $10,000,000.
He is also seeking an injunction requiring the “defendants and their agents, employees, officers, attorneys, successors, licensees, partners, and assigns, and all persons acting in concert or participation with each or any one of them, to cease directly and indirectly infringing, and causing, enabling, facilitating, encouraging, promoting, inducing, and/or participating in the infringement of any of Obrafour’s rights protected by the Copyright Act.”
Source: www.nydjlive.com with additional text from myjoyonline
