Alabaster Box Accuses Medikal of Copyright Violation, Seeks GHS15 Million in Damages
An all-male gospel acappella group, Alabaster Box, has launched a GHS15 million lawsuit against popular Ghanaian rapper Medikal, legally known as Samuel Adu Frimpong. The lawsuit follows allegations of copyright infringement, with the group accusing Medikal of using parts of their hit song “Akwaaba” in his latest track, “Welcome to Africa,” without their permission.
The writ, filed at the Accra High Court on April 15, demands GHS10 million in general damages for what the group describes as Medikal’s infringing actions. Additionally, they are seeking exemplary damages amounting to GHS5 million, citing intentional infringement, undesirable brand association, and diminishing the value of their original work.
Prior to the lawsuit, Sustineri Attorneys, representing Alabaster Box, issued a notice on April 8 highlighting significant similarities in the first ten seconds of Medikal’s song. They demanded the song’s removal from media platforms, cessation of performances and promotions, contract terminations, and a detailed revenue account.
Despite Medikal’s decision to remove the contentious segment from the song’s YouTube version, the original track remains on other streaming services. Alabaster Box perceives this action as disrespectful and views it as an implicit admission of guilt, having not been consulted about the alterations.
Source: ModernGhana