Ghanaian rapper, Obrafour, has filed a lawsuit against Canadian rapper, Drake, over alleged copyright infringement.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, in the US district court for the southern district of New York. In the suit, Obrafour accused Drake of using the remix of his 2003 song ‘Oye Ohene’ without his consent in his recent hit song, ‘Calling My Name.’
According to the lawsuit, Drake had sent an email to Obrafour, seeking permission to use the song, but he received no response. Despite not receiving any response from Obrafour, Drake went ahead to use the sample in his song, which was included in his latest album, ‘Honestly, Nevermind.’
“Obrafour had not yet responded to the June 8, 2022, Clearance Email or the follow-up June 13, 2022, Clearance Email at the point when Drake’s ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ album was released on June 17, 2022. Nonetheless, the Infringing Work is one of the songs appearing on the ‘Honestly, Nevermind’ album, as released to the world by ‘surprise’ on June 17, 2022,” the lawsuit reads.
Obrafour is seeking $10,000,000 as compensation for the alleged copyright infringement. The rapper is also requesting preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, monetary damages, and other economic relief.
The suit claims that Obrafour is entitled to actual damages, profits, directly and indirectly, attributable to Drake’s alleged infringing conduct, and statutory damages under the Copyright Act of up to $150,000 per infringement.
“Obrafour sues for copyright infringement under the Copyright Act and seeks all remedies afforded to him thereunder, including preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, monetary damages, including but not limited to, actual damages, profits directly and indirectly attributable to from Defendants’ infringing conduct, statutory damages under the Copyright Act in the sum of up to $150,000.00 per infringement where such infringement commenced after the Copyrighted Work was registered with the United States Copyright Office, and other economic relief,” part of the lawsuit reads.
Obrafour gained fame in 1999 after releasing his debut solo album, ‘Pae Mu Ka.’ He is also known for his socially conscious lyrics that address societal issues in Ghana.
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