Lawyers Deny Judgment Ordering Payment Of Sub-licensing Services

Lawyers to pay television company, MultiChoice Nigeria Limited has denied media reports suggesting that the Court of Appeal Port Harcourt Division ordered it to sub-license some of its channels to Metro Digital Limited, a cable television service provider.

One of the lawyers, Toyin Pinheiro (SAN) who signed the disclaimer, said that the said reports were a misrepresentation of the judgment of the court delivered earlier on Wednesday.

Pinheiro claimed, “it is a misrepresentation of the judgment of the Court of Appeal Port Harcourt Division delivered on the 13th of July 2022. The court only directed the National Broadcasting Commission (the 2nd Respondent) to constitute a panel within 21 days to look into the complaints of Metro Digital Limited.

“The Court of Appeal, Port Harcourt Division, dismissed the reliefs prayed by Metro Digital Limited seeking to compel MultiChoice Nigeria Limited to sub-license some channels to Metro Digital Limited.

“The general public is hereby informed to disregard the incorrect reportage,” Pinheiro stated in the disclaimer, the senior lawyer stated.

Metro Digital Limited had dragged MultiChoice before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt after the pay television company turned down its request for the sublicensing of some of its channels on the ground that it does not own the rights to the channels and programs for which the request was made.

The suit was dismissed by the lower court last year on the ground that Metro Digital Limited was unable to contradict MultiChoice’s claim that it does not own the rights to the content requested.