The Digest:
Nollywood actress and producer Bimbo Ademoye has publicly called out an individual known as 'Lagos Sounds' for allegedly stealing and claiming ownership of a soundtrack from her film, leading to the demonetization of her movie on YouTube. Ademoye stated that the exclusive track "Focused - Tell a Friend," created by singer Ugoccie for her movie "Where Love Lives," was uploaded to Spotify and YouTube by the accused, who claimed it as his own production. This triggered a copyright claim that has stripped revenue from her popular YouTube channel. She emotionally warned of consequences if the claim is not lifted, asserting she holds full rights as the film's producer.
Key Points:
- The demonetization directly impacts the actress's earnings from millions of views, undermining the financial viability of independent digital content creation.
- Such incidents create a climate of insecurity for creators, who may hesitate to invest in original music and soundtracks for their projects.
- The theft primarily benefits the fraudulent claimant through illicit streaming revenue, while harming the original artist, composer, and producer.
- This case highlights systemic weaknesses in digital platforms' copyright claim systems, which can be easily weaponized against legitimate owners.
- The public outcry and timing put pressure on both the accused and the platforms involved to resolve the issue swiftly to avoid lasting reputational damage.
Sources: Social Media Reports (X)
