Nigerian music sensation Davido has been summoned by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York to appear within 21 days. The summons follows a lawsuit filed by four Nigerian artists—Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru—who accuse Davido of intellectual property theft. The artists claim that Davido used elements from their 2022 song “Work” without permission to create his 2024 track “Strawberry on Ice,” which features Sierra Leonean singer Emmerson Amidu Bockarie.
The dispute began in January 2022 when the plaintiffs shared the demo of “Work” with Davido, hoping for a collaboration to boost their exposure in the music industry. However, they allege that Davido took the song without permission and collaborated with Emmerson to recreate the track, incorporating instrumental and vocal elements from the original demo. In an attempt to resolve the matter amicably, the parties reached a settlement agreement on March 14, 2025, where Davido agreed to pay $45,000 and grant the plaintiffs 40% of the compositional royalties and 20% of the sound recording royalties for “Strawberry on Ice”.
However, Davido allegedly failed to meet the payment deadline of March 24, 2025, prompting the lawsuit filed on April 4. The plaintiffs are now seeking a court declaration that their intellectual property rights were infringed, $150,000 in damages, and a transfer of 40% of the compositional copyright and 20% of the sound recording copyright of “Strawberry on Ice” to them. They also request an injunction to prevent Davido and his co-defendants from further infringing on their copyrights.
This legal challenge highlights the importance of respecting intellectual property rights in the music industry and the potential consequences of failing to honor agreements. As the case unfolds, it will be interesting to see how Davido responds to these allegations and how the court rules on the matter. The situation underscores the need for transparency and accountability in creative collaborations, ensuring that all parties are fairly recognized and compensated for their contributions.
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