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Warner Music Group, one of many world’s largest leisure conglomerates, is dealing with the prospect of being added to an lively Nigerian lawsuit after failing to reply to a proper legal demand over its distribution of Burna Boy’s early catalogue.
The international music big has but to reply to a proper letter demanding it halt distribution of Burna Boy’s first two albums, as lively courtroom proceedings in Nigeria proceed.
Lagos-based regulation agency Creative Legal, appearing on behalf of 960 Music Limited, served Warner Music Group with a proper notification demanding it instantly droop all distribution, advertising, monetisation, licensing, synchronisation, and every other industrial exploitation of Burna Boy’s debut album L.I.F.E (2013) and his 2016 follow-up Redemption.
Warner was given seven days to reply in writing. That deadline has handed. The international distributor has stated nothing on the time of this report. “They are yet to concede to our demands,” a lawyer at Creative Legal instructed Netng. “Ordinarily, they are supposed to acknowledge the receipt of that letter and abide by what we stated. They have not done that.”
The notification, despatched electronically to Warner Music Group’s official contacts, calls for the corporate additionally chorus from coming into into any new licensing, synchronisation, publishing, or sub-distribution preparations relating to the works, and protect all monetary data, royalty statements, and accounting paperwork relating to the industrial exploitation of {the catalogue}.
The underlying dispute over Burna Boy’s early catalogue
The legal motion stems from an alleged switch of Burna Boy’s early catalogue from Aristokrat Records Nigeria Limited, his former label, to Spaceship Music Limited, an organization co-owned by the artist himself. 960 Music Limited, which holds a 40% shareholding in Aristokrat Records, says it was neither notified of nor consented to the transaction, which it alleges was executed with out board or shareholder approval.
The dispute is already before the courts on two fronts. Civil proceedings are lively on the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt Judicial Division (Suit No. FHC/PH/CS/188/2024 — 960 Music Ltd v. Aristokrat Records Nigeria Limited & Ors.), looking for nullification of {the catalogue} task and a refund of sale proceeds. Separately, prison proceedings have been initiated in Lagos (Charge No. FHC/L/1087/2025 — Commissioner of Police v. Aristokrat Records Nigeria Limited & Anor.), involving allegations of fraudulent conversion and associated offences.
Warner Music Group distributes {the catalogue} globally in its capability as distributor for Spaceship Music/Burna Boy.
Warner Music now risks being joined to the swimsuit
Creative Legal has confirmed that Warner’s continued silence has moved the matter past a compliance query; the worldwide music distributor now risks being drawn straight into the Nigerian proceedings.
“There are two things we intend to do,” a spokesperson from Creative Legal instructed Netng. “The first is that they can be added as a co-defendant. The crux of this matter still links with Warner Music. If a matter is in court, all actions on that subject matter should ordinarily be suspended until the conclusion of the matter. If they continue to enjoy rights over a subject matter that is in court, that would defeat the purpose for which the matter is in court.”
“They danger legal responsibility of being added to the swimsuit, in order that an injunction order might be positioned in opposition to them to restrain them from persevering with the illegal distribution of the Burna Boy albums
Barrister Justin Ige, managing accomplice at Creative Legal, confirmed to the media that the agency had not obtained a proper compliance notification on the expiration of the deadline, and that it awaits additional instruction from 960 Music Limited on subsequent steps.
Netng has contacted Warner Music Group for feedback.
L.I.F.E and Redemption signify the foundational catalogue of certainly one of Africa’s most commercially priceless artists. Burna Boy has since turn out to be a Grammy Award-winning international celebrity, and his early works proceed to generate streaming, publishing, and synchronisation earnings throughout dozens of worldwide markets.
The industrial worth of the disputed catalogue and the royalties it has generated because the alleged unauthorised switch is central to the aid being sought within the Port Harcourt civil proceedings.
The Burna Boy catalogue dispute is, in that context, not merely a dispute between shareholders. It is a take a look at of whether or not a worldwide music main will respect a Nigerian legal course of or wait to be compelled.
Netng has reached out to Warner Music Group for remark. This story can be up to date upon receipt of any response.
