A Federal High Court Judge sitting in Lagos, Mrs. Olateregun-Ishola, has adjourned the trials of Musical Copyright Society of Nigeria (MCSN), its CEO, Mr. Mayo Ayilaran and six other officers of the society, accused of operating an illegal copyright collecting society, to March 28 and 29, 2017.
The trials which are in three separate cases, earlier slated for Monday, January 30, 2017 were rescheduled due to the absence of an MCSN staff, Miss Gladys Njoku in court.
The prison authorities failed to bring Njoku to court, who, along two others; Mr. Halim Mohammed and Mr. Olukayode Ajayi have remained in remand due to their inability to perfect their bail conditions since October 26, 2016 when they were granted bail by the court.
Other officers of the society who were in court include, MCSN’s CEO, Mr. Mayo Ayilaran, his deputy, Mr. Louis Bassey Udoh and two other officers of the organization, Miss Omolari Banjo and Mr. Yusuf Benson.
When the case was called on Monday, January 30, Defence counsel Mr. Wale Adesokan SAN sought to move an application for an order directing the Nigerian Copyright Commission to release the equipment, files, documents and all materials seized from the MCSN office during an NCC raid in 2012, in accordance with the earlier judgment of Justice Mohammed Yunusa delivered on March 18, 2013.
According to Mr. Adesokan, the materials were required for the defense of the defendants. But the prosecution team objected, saying that the judgement of Justice Mohammed Yunusa had been completely set aside by the Court of Appeal in its unanimous judgment of October 19, 2016.
Adesokan who reportedly expressed ignorance of the Court of Appeal judgment withdrew his application when handed a copy of the judgment.
The Nigerian Copyright Commission had in FHC/IKJ/CR/18/2012, FHC/IKJ/CR/19/2012 and FHC/IKJ/CR/20/2012 brought three different cases against Musical Copyright Society Nigeria (MCSN) and seven of its accused officers for performing the duties of a collecting society without the approval of the Commission.
