Appeal Court Didn’t Order Sub-licencing, MultiChoice Lawyer Insists

Lawyers to pay television giants, MultiChoice Nigeria have described as incorrect some media reports suggesting that the Court of Appeal ordered the company to sub-licence some of its channels to Metro Digital Limited, a cable television service provider.

In a disclaimer issued on yesterday, the Principal Partner, C.O Pinheiro and Co. Law Practice, legal representatives of MultiChoice Nigeria, Toyin Pinheiro, stated that the said reports were a misrepresentation of the judgment of the court delivered yesterday.

It stated: “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-licence some channels to Metro Digital Limited.

“The general public is hereby informed to disregard the incorrect reportage,”

Metro Digital Limited had approached a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt after MultiChoice turned down its request for the sublicencing of some of its channels on the ground that it does not own the rights to the channels and programmes for which the request was made.

Last year, Metro Digital’s case was dismissed by the Federal High Court on the ground that it was unable to contradict MultiChoice’s claim that it does not own the rights to the content requested.