Mantse owns the intellectual property even if Obrafuor paid for it because it’s his voice we hear – Bulldog on Drake lawsuit

In the ongoing discussion about who owns the intellectual property for the remix of “Oye Ohene,” Bull Dog, an artist manager and commentator, has given his perspective. Obrafour is suing Canadian rapper Drake for alleged copyright breaches.

The dispute, in which Obrafuor and co-creator and producer Mantse Nii Aryeequaye are battling for ownership, has recently generated a lot of controversy.

Although Obrafuor paid Mantse for the work, BullGod of Bullhaus Entertainment, an independent record label in Ghana, has joined in on the debate, claiming that even if Obrafuor has no right to sue Drake for utilizing Mantse’s voice since Mantse still owns the intellectual property rights to it.

“This very suits rests on the lap of Mantse. With intellectual property whether you were paid or not you still own it. Nobody can pay for your mind. It’s just like creating beats, anybody who creates the beat  even if you paid for the beat…you just hired the beat because intellectually it’s the person who owns the beat for life that’s why we have split sheets,” he explained

Intellectual property experts claim that because copyright and ownership problems are frequently involved, the question of sampling can be legally complicated.

However, the previous manager of Shatta Wale thinks the situation is simple because Mantse’s voice is audibly present on the sampled “Killer Cut” entrance.

“Even if Obrafuor paid Mantse for this work, Mantse owns the intellectual property. Mantse is a co-writer so when we come to split sheets like the Lawyer said If Obrafuor has registered the music solely for him that’s theft,” he maintained

His justification is the belief that, even if the original owner receives payment for their work, intellectual property rights cannot be transferred.

In other words, Obrafuor does not automatically possess the rights to Mantse’s voice merely because he paid Mantse for his participation to the song.

“Especially, In this case of sampling, it is Mantse’s voice we hear clearly so Obrafuor has no right,” he told Berla Mundi on TV3 New Day