COSON ‘CRUSHES’ MCSN AT THE FEDERAL HIGH COURT

The attempt by Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN) to be joined in the class action suit brought by COSON against the broadcast industry in Nigeria was dealt a deadly blow this Tuesday, December 10 2019 as Justice A.M. Liman of the Federal High Court, Lagos, dismissed the MCSN application for joinder, describing MCSN as “a restless interloper and a vexatious intervener”

It will be recalled that COSON on the 27^th of March, 2019 brought a class action suit against all broadcasting stations in the country who have continued to deploy musical works and sound recordings in the COSON repertoire without obtaining a COSON licence or paying any copyright royalty to the nation’s frontline CMO for musical works and sound recordings.

The Principal issue raised by COSON in its Originating Summons is whether a letter by the Nigerian Copyright Commission to COSON dated 30^th of April 2018 or any other such letter or statement, in the context of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, avails the broadcasting stations the right to compulsorily acquire the use of the intellectual property in the repertoire of COSON without obtaining any license or paying any royalty to COSON.

Shortly after the processes in the class action suit were published as directed by the court, MCSN brought an application to be joined in the suit, describing itself as an interested party. 

In her affidavit opposing the application of MCSN to be joined, the COSON General Counsel, Miss Simi Wash Pam, deposed to the fact that MCSN is not a broadcaster and is not a member of the class already certified by the court.

She said that the subject matters of the suit are musical works and sound recordings the copyright of which is owned by any member of COSON, assigned to COSON or managed by COSON by reason of any reciprocal representation agreement with COSON and that the suit has nothing to do with musical works or sound recordings owned by anyone else including MCSN. She was emphatic that MCSN is not an interested party in the suit but a meddlesome interloper seeking to join the suit with the intent of scuttling it.

Miss Wash-Pam concluded that the application of MCSN to be joined in the suit was brought in bad faith and asked the Court in the interest of justice to deny the MCSN application.

Reacting to the decision of Justice Liman, COSON lawyer, Mr. James Ononiwu of Whitedove Solicitors, who was in court when the decision was read, described Justice Liman’s reasoning as “sound and in line with common sense, the rules of court and a litany of decided cases”. He, once again, cautioned anyone intent on messing around with the constitutional rights of COSON and its members and affiliates that COSON will take on such a person “totally, completely, comprehensively and without any fear whatsoever”.

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THE 2019 COSON IN THE CHURCH WAS A BLAST!

Nigeria probably has never seen a red carpet set up like the one at Revival Assembly in Ikeja on Sunday December 1 for the much talked about COSON in the Church. The expansive and breath-taking red carpet lined up with flowers and a big bar for cocktails and finger foods was the cynosure of the eyes of all those who came from far and near for the show everyone has been talking about. The hostesses were simply strikingly beautiful.

Throughout the red-carpet ceremonials, the amazing violinist, Emmaolin,easily Nigeria’s best, on a special stage set up for him poured sweet music from the heavens on the multitude who had come to share in the experience of an event like no other. It was breath taking! The cameras and paparazzi went gaga to capture the moment in history. Everywhere you looked, the sophisticated COSON branding stared back at you.

At the main auditorium, the lights dimmed, and the mega screen came alive and lo and behold, Chief Tony Okoroji, the man who conceived and made the show happen, was brought into the hall on a beach bike and the audience roared. COSON in the Church was on!

What followed was a relay of exotic performances by Nigeria’s most talented gospel artistes. Mike Aremu was stylish and exceptional and showed why he is considered one of Africa’s best saxophonists.The brilliant choreography of AsuEkiye, the generalissimo of Gospel music, also called the Prince of the Niger Delta,brought out many-many white handkerchiefs that swung in the air and kept everyone grooving and grooving nonstop. Righteousman, the reggae star, had a performance no one who saw him on stage at Revival Assembly will ever-ever forget. He was in complete control of both his band and the audience and everyone swung to him.

If you missed the performance of Tosin Bee, the young gospel music firebrand, then you truly missed. He had the audience eating off his hands in his special call and response act. Word-to-God took the audience through an amazingmedley of songs with their out of sight harmonies rooted in the world- famous negro spirituals mixed with a South-Eastern Nigeria flavor.

And so COSON in the Church rocked and rocked with the gospel highlife music of the beautiful IbitayoJeje, the sonorous voice of Essence and the sweet performance of IghosaObaro.

There were special prayers by different pastors for the growth of the music industry and the Nigerian nation. A thunderous prayer by Pastor TimiOshikoya popularly known as Telemi was captivating 

The high point of the event may be the unforgettable prayer by Apostle Anselm Maduboko, General Overseer of Revival Assembly churches who hosted the music industry to the talk-of the-town event. The man of God was emphatic that by giving special recognition to God, COSON will survive every plan of the enemy and grow from strength to strength to become an even stronger player in the Nigerian nation. Present at the event were many artistes, old and young including the beautiful gospel singer, Ayo Vincent and Dr Funmi Argbaye, National President, Gospel Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (GOMAN). For much of the evening, there was a repeated chorus by the congregation of the famous COSON slogan, “Let the music pay!”

From the beginning to the end, the 2019 COSON in the Church was a blast and an unforgettable event emceed by the vivacious Kenny Saint Brown who brought the event to a close with an electric performance of her own.

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