The third quarter of 2026 brought significant developments across Nigeria’s entertainment and creative economy. Courts delivered notable rulings on authorship, recording contracts and collective management, regulators moved on film censorship and digital enforcement, and global AI-related copyright litigation continued to escalate. This edition of the Entertainment Law Digest covers the key developments.

HIGHLIGHTS IN THIS EDITION:

Sinach Wins ₦5 Billion Copyright Battle Over “Way Maker”
On 24 July 2026, the Federal High Court, Lagos Division, dismissed a suit by music producer Michael Oluwole (Maye) against gospel musician Osinachi Joseph Egbu (Sinach), in which he claimed co-authorship, co-ownership and ₦5 billion in damages over the song “Way Maker”. Justice A. Lewis-Allagoa held that providing post-production services such as mixing and mastering an existing composition does not confer co-authorship, since authorship requires original expressive contribution to the composition itself. The case underscores the need for written work-for-hire agreements for recording sessions.

Runtown Ordered to Return to Eric Many and Pay About ₦319 Million
In a ruling delivered on 16 July 2026, Justice O. A. Musa of the High Court of the FCT, Abuja, held that the June 2016 recording contract between Eric Many Limited and Runtown (Douglas Jack Agu) remained valid and enforceable. The Court ordered specific performance of the artist’s remaining recording obligations, including delivery of a full-length album, affirmed the label’s proprietary rights in the “RUNTOWN” mark, and ordered payment of approximately ₦319 million, comprising unrecouped label investments, general damages and costs.

Copyright Society of Nigeria (COSON) v. Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC)
The Court of Appeal (Lagos Division) unanimously dismissed COSON’s interlocutory appeal and awarded ₦200,000 in costs against the Society. Because COSON’s operational licence had already been suspended and later expired before the suit was filed, there was no subsisting approval to preserve by injunction. The decision reinforces the NCC’s statutory authority over collective management organisations.

Africa Music Business Roundtable (AMBR) 2026
From 16 to 18 July 2026, Lagos hosted AMBR 2.0, bringing together music executives, legal scholars, technology innovators, policymakers and rights administrators. Key themes included AI and copyright integrity, data-driven royalty transparency, institutional investment and music IP securitisation, and policy frameworks to address digital gatekeeping.

Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN) Warns Businesses Over Alleged Fake Music Licences
In August 2026, MCSN issued a public warning to hotels, event centres, lounges, discotheques and broadcasters against paying royalties to unauthorised organisations. Citing the Court of Appeal’s dismissal of COSON’s interlocutory appeal, MCSN stated that it is the sole government-approved CMO authorised by the NCC to grant public performance licences for musical works, and that paying an unlicensed entity offers no protection against infringement suits.

Shallipopi, Seyi Vibez and T.I Blaze vs Dapper Music
In August 2026, the three artists publicly accused music executive Damilola Akinwunmi (Dapper) and Dapper Music of financial mismanagement and contractual breaches, including unpaid streaming royalties, unauthorised IP licensing and signature forgery. Dapper Music denied the allegations and called for an independent forensic audit. The dispute highlights the importance of audit-rights clauses, transparent royalty accounting and clear recoupment terms.

National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) Moves Against Movie “Living in Colours”
In late August 2026, the NFVCB intervened to stop the planned premiere of the web series “Living in Colours”, stating that it had not been submitted for vetting and classification and alleging that it contained content in violation of the NFVCB Act and the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013. The Board warned exhibitors and venue owners of administrative sanctions, including possible licence revocation.

AGF Calls on NCC to Prepare for AI and Streaming
In August 2026, the Attorney-General of the Federation, represented by Dr. Patrick Etta Oyong, charged the NCC to modernise its regulatory and enforcement operations to address AI-generated content and digital streaming, moving from physical piracy raids towards tech-driven cyber-enforcement.

Nigeria Police Force Proposes Specialised IP and Creative Economy Desk
In September 2026, the Inspector-General of Police proposed an “Orange Economy Security and Intellectual Property Coordination Desk” to bridge police enforcement and regulators such as the NCC, focusing on intelligence-led action against physical and digital piracy and on security for film locations, concerts and festivals.

Federal Government Engages Bolloré Group on Creative Economy and Digital Media Expansion
On 18 September 2026, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu held bilateral talks in Paris with Vincent Bolloré, Chairman of the Bolloré Group, on foreign direct investment in Nigeria’s creative, entertainment, fibre-optic and digital infrastructure sectors. The development points to likely closer attention to foreign ownership structures, local content requirements and cross-border licensing.

Sony Music Sues AI Music Generator Udio Over Alleged Use of 30,000+ Recordings
In July 2026, Sony Music Entertainment filed a second copyright lawsuit in the United States against Uncharted Labs, Inc. (Udio), identifying 30,117 additional sound recordings allegedly used without authorisation to train its models, and seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per recording. Sony is now the only major label still litigating against Udio, after Universal and Warner reached settlements.

Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music v. Anthropic PBC
In late August 2026, Sony Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music filed a federal copyright lawsuit against Anthropic PBC in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California. The complaint alleges unauthorised acquisition of copyrighted musical compositions from pirate repositories, removal of copyright management information, and memorisation of lyrics. The case highlights the liability exposure around input-side data sourcing for AI training.

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