The founder of 3 Networks, Sadiq Abdulai Abu, has shared his view on Obrafour’s suit against Drake.
Obarfour is demanding 10 million dollars as he sues the Canadian rapper over copyright infringement.
The veteran Ghanaian rapper to this decision after his ‘Oye Ohene’ song was sampled without consent.
Following his suit, Mantse Aryeequaye, a producer and event organizer laid claim to the ownership of the ‘Killer cut blood’ part which was sampled by Drake.
In a lengthy post sighted by Zionfelix.net, the 3Networks boss defended Mantse.
Sadiq stated that he is on the right path and justified why.
Read his full post below.
Following the Obrafour vrs Drake vrs Mantse IP issues carefully. I am noticing some of the emotions at play and the usual takes devoid of sound legal reasoning and case studies to back it up.
Someone wondered if Mantse indeed has locus to claim his composition on the recording owned by Execution entertainment/Obrafour? Others thought, he couldn’t have because he was paid etc.
Anybody that followed the Taylor Swift, Big Time Machine case which is almost similar to this as it relates to asserting one’ compositional right will admit, Mantse whether paid or not can lay a proper claim to the composition of that aspect of the recording which Execution Entertainment/Obrafour owns. That composition “Killer cut blood” is his. He composed and performed it.
The Taylor Swift, big Time Machine case asserts the composer’s rights associated with the underlying composition – the performance royalties, in addition to the mechanical royalties even though the owner of the sound recording in this case Execution entertainment/Obrafour retains the rights to monetize, distribute, and license that specific recording, regardless of who wrote the song.
Execution/Obrafour owns the entire recording, hower the element of the recording in contention is that which was composed and performed by Mantse. So its best practice to regard Mantse as a composer of that aspect of the recording owned by Execution Entertainment/Obrafour because he composed and performed it. So he is actually on a good path regardless of how we think he should have approached it. Approach can be subjective and a matter of choice not our emotions to be fair to him.
Perhaps it’s time to re-route narrative of industry through thoughtful and informative content as I have consistently maintained. No industry can be enabled without thought leadership. This is another opportunity to do better and elevate the discourse for the good of industry.
