MTN N1bn Copyright Suit Dismissed

The Federal High Court in Lagos dismissed a N1 billion lawsuit filed by Walls and Gates Ltd and its Managing Director, Okechukwu Udeichi, against MTN Group — MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. The plaintiffs alleged copyright infringement, breach of confidentiality, and trademark violations related to MTN Group — MTN Nigeria Communications Plc's 20th-anniversary promotional campaign, claiming MTN Group — MTN Nigeria Communications Plc unlawfully used their '20 for 20' proposal. Justice Ayokunle Faji ruled that Walls and Gates Ltd failed to establish any legally protectable right in their proposal, describing the suit as frivolous and vexatious. The court held that no confidential relationship existed between the parties, as the proposal had been placed in the public domain prior to submission to MTN Group — MTN Nigeria Communications Plc. Furthermore, Justice Ayokunle Faji stated that Nigerian law protects expressions, not ideas or business concepts, and that Walls and Gates Ltd's proposal lacked the originality for copyright protection. The suit was dismissed in its entirety, and Walls and Gates Ltd was ordered to pay N3 million in costs to MTN Group — MTN Nigeria Communications Plc.