By Our Reporter
In a shocking turn of events, a leading gospel musician in Nigeria, Very Rev’d David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi, stage name Aremolekun, found himself entangled in a copyright infringement battle with an unknown individual. The impostor reported Aremolekun’s 5th album titled after his stage name to iTunes, claiming ownership and leading to its deletion in March, 2024.
Aremolekun who was at a time Governor of the Gospel Musicians’ Association of Nigeria (GOMAN) in Ondo state, received emails from RouteNote, his music distributor, stating that the album would be removed due to the claim. Before he could access the emails, the grace period had expired, and the album removed.
Despite his efforts to resolve the issue, the senior journalist said the impostor remained anonymous and unresponsive.
With the help of God, support from Mr. Kenny Fasipe, and encouragement from his family, Aremolekun supplied evidence to prove his ownership of the album. On August 7, Gtunes restored the album in contention, marking a victory in the first leg of the case.
However, the battle is far from over. iTunes insists that Aremolekun resolve the issue with the anonymous individual only identified with his/her email address: Olawale.tobi@digitalmusicce.com, leaving him frustrated and determined to fight for his rights.
Aremolekun laments the plight of artistes who fall victim to such scams, but remains steadfast in his trust that God will bring justice to those responsible.
This incident highlights the challenges artistes face in protecting their intellectual property in the digital age. Aremolekun’s story serves as a testament to the importance of perseverance and the need for support in the fight against copyright infringement.