Lawyer Says Asake Does Not Owe Royalties To Police Officer Behind ‘Epp Me’

An entertainment attorney whose name is Raphael Irenen has come out to say that Asake does not owe royalties to the police officer behind the ‘Epp Me’

Recall that the Police officer identified as Helen Utabor gained publicity through a viral video where she had a dispute with a traffic violator. Mnay Nigerians attacked Asake for not giving her royalties for using her voice in his hit song titled PEACE BE UNTO YOU.

However, during Monday appearance on Arise TV’s Good Morning Show the entertainment attorney revealed that the Nigerian Copyright Act grants copyright to six categories of works which are writing, painting, music, broadcasting, sound recording, and audiovisual activities. 

According to him;

Copyright in an audio-visual work goes to the author. Copyright generally under the Nigeria Copyright Act goes to the author. That is Section 28 of the Nigeria Copyright Act.

“The video itself comprises the woman’s voice. It is quite reasonable to expect that people would advocate that she be compensated. But it doesn’t work that way.”

“The video was a spontaneous activity. If there was an agreement that stated the lady (Utaboh) would be entitled to something, royalties or she has certain ownership over the said video, that would have been different. But there was no agreement to that effect. The young man took out his phone and started recording”.

Going further he said

“If you remove the lady’s voice, you make it a stand-alone item. Asake only used her voice alone. He did not use the video.”