Nollywood video website, iROKOTv.com, is reportedly suing the makers of a mobile phone application for copyright infringement.
Afrinolly, a mobile phone app that showcases Nollywood films, has been asked by iROKO Tv to pay N100 million in compensation for ‘using’ its videos without permission.
iROKO Tv, which showcases up to 5,000 Nigerian and Ghanaian-made films, has shot to fame this year for hitting 500,000 subscribers in six months, according to its developers.
Afrinolly has also experienced success in the last two years, as it won a Google Android developer challenge in 2011.
But now the developers of the mobile app are under pressure for alleged copyright infringement.
“In an industry that is rife with misrepresentation, piracy and copyright infringement, we are left with no option but to begin legal action against Afrinolly, who have been illegally building their business on our content,” said Jason Njoku, the chief executive of iROKO Partners, in a report on Daily Times Nigeria.
“Afrinolly, since its inception, has never bothered to even discuss with us or other content owners and has definitely not remunerated anyone to date.
In the meantime, iROKO Partners has also reportedly asked the owners of Afrinolly to remove all ‘illegally’ sourced content from its app.
Share