By The CEO of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, has been accused of avoiding being served court papers in a copyright infringement case. The Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) made the accusation before the Federal High Court in Abuja. The case, which involves MTN Nigeria, Toriola, Fun Mobile Limited, and others, alleges that they used certain soundtracks as ringtones without permission from the original copyright holders, violating the Copyright Act.
MTN Nigeria, however, has filed a request asking the court to dismiss the case, arguing that the lawsuit is flawed. When the case came up in court, the defendants were not present. MTN’s lawyer, Obafemi Agaba, explained that Toriola had not been served with the court documents yet, adding that the law requires personal service, and the NCC had not asked for an alternative way to serve him.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, the trial judge, advised MTN’s lawyer to ensure that the defendants are properly served with the court papers. The judge also noted that the NCC’s lawyer should know the correct procedures for serving legal documents.
