Court Declares Sinach Sole Owner of ‘Way Maker’
Court Dismisses ₦5bn Copyright Suit, Affirms Sinach’s Ownership of ‘Way Maker’. A Federal High Court in Lagos has dismissed a ₦5 billion copyright lawsuit filed by music producer Michael Oluwole, popularly known as Maye, against gospel singer Osinachi Joseph Egbu, popularly known as Sinach, over her globally acclaimed song, “Way Maker”.
The judgment brings to an end the copyright dispute, which was instituted in 2024 under suit number FHC/L/CS/402/2024.
Oluwole had claimed that he was a co-author and co-owner of “Way Maker”, arguing that he recorded, mixed and mastered the song and contributed instrumental accompaniments to the recording.
He asked the court to recognise him as a co-owner of the musical work, order the sharing of royalties and licensing income, and award him ₦5 billion in damages.
However, the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, rejected the claims and affirmed Sinach’s ownership of the song.
The court held that Oluwole failed to establish that he made an original creative contribution sufficient to make him a joint author of the musical work.
According to reports on the judgment, the court found that Sinach had already created and performed “Way Maker” before Oluwole was engaged to work on the recording for its commercial release.
The court further accepted evidence that Oluwole was engaged and paid for studio services, including mixing and mastering, under an oral agreement.
The judgment distinguished between technical contributions to a recording and authorship of the underlying musical work, with authorship depending on demonstrable original creative contributions to elements of the work.
The court consequently dismissed the suit in its entirety, with Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa reportedly describing the claim as “gold-digging and unmeritorious”.
The ruling effectively leaves Sinach as the sole owner of the copyright in “Way Maker”, according to reports of the judgment.
“Way Maker”, written and performed by Sinach, has become one of the most internationally recognised contemporary gospel songs, attracting numerous covers and performances by artists around the world.
The case had attracted significant attention within Nigeria’s creative industry because of the questions it raised about the distinction between songwriting, authorship, music production and technical contributions to sound recordings.
The original suit was filed in March 2024, with Maye seeking, among other reliefs, an equitable share of fees accruing from licences or copyright assignments relating to “Way Maker”.
The latest judgment marks a significant development in Nigeria’s music copyright landscape, particularly regarding claims of joint authorship arising from production and studio contributions.
By Kpomkwem News
