Celebrated artiste Nyamari ‘Nyashinski’ Ongegu is facing a ruling in a copyright infringement case filed by Nigerian music producer Sam Are Eliapenda.
The case revolves around a multi-million endorsement deal Nyashinski signed with Tecno Kenya Limited in May 2023.
According to court documents, the Nigerian music producer accuses Nyashinski of using the hit song “Wach Wach”, which he produced, to advertise and promote Tecno Camon 20 without obtaining his consent or compensating him.
The two parties own 50% of the publishing rights to the song, but Nyashinski owns 100% of the master rights to the record.
Magistrate Selina Muchungi has ordered Nyashinski to produce the brand ambassadorial contract he signed with Tecno Kenya Limited, but the rapper has failed to do so on multiple occasions.
The contract has become a bone of contention in the case, with Nyashinski’s lawyers claiming that it is subject to a non-disclosure agreement and cannot be produced in court.
Despite multiple orders from the magistrate, Nyashinski’s lawyers have failed to produce the contract. In their latest attempt, they claimed that their client was unavailable, but the magistrate denied their request and ordered them to file a response to Sam Are’s application.
The magistrate has set June 10 as the date for her ruling in the case, and both parties have been ordered to file their submissions by then.
Related: Nyashinski in big trouble in court as his accuser pushes him to the corner
