Ugandan high court has ordered telecommunications giant Airtel Uganda to pay dancehall artist Konshens 667 million Ugandan shillings ($180,000) in a copyright lawsuit.

PHOTO | COURTESY Konshens smiles to the bank

The legal firm supporting Konshens, Kalenge Bwanika Kisubi, and Company Advocates was instrumental in his victory in this copyright infringement litigation.

 Kisubi and Company Advocates' statement reads, "We successfully represented Konshens in the protection of copyright in his songs to wit; 'Simple Song', 'Gyal a Bubble', 'So Mitan', 'No Retreat' among others for being used as caller tunes without any royalties paid to him,"

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PHOTO | COURTESY Konshens smiles to the bank

We successfully represented @konshens in protection of copyright in his songs to wit; 'simple song', Gyal a Bubble', 'So mitan', No Retreat' among others for being used as caller tunes without any royalties paid to him.

The lawsuit was filed in 2015 in which the dancehalls legal team accused Airtel Uganda of infringement of Konshens’ songs. Airtel and second defendant Onmobile Global Limited utilized the Jamaican's songs as "caller tunes" (ring tones) without his authorization, violating his copyrights, according to Ugandan High Court judge Patricia Mutesi. Konshens was also ordered to pay Onmobile 30 million Ugandan Shillings in exemplary damages.

PHOTO | COURTESY Konshens 
Judge Mutesi also declared that the telecoms giant and its business partners had disproportionately enriched themselves by selling Konshens' songs as caller tunes to Airtel subscribers at a rate of 600 Ugandan shillings per download without his permission and "did not even remit him a portion of the proceeds from his work."

PHOTO | COURTESY Konshens


The corporations were also guilty of unfairly using the deejay's other tracks, including So Mi Tan and Jah Love Me, Konshens Jazz Version, and Stop Sign, in their 600 Ugandan shillings Hello Tunes program.