U.S. Court Orders Davido to Respond Within 21 Days in Copyright Infringement Case

U.S. Court Orders Davido to Respond Within 21 Days in Copyright Infringement Case

Nigerian music superstar David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, has been given a 21-day deadline by the U.S. District Court in Manhattan to respond to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against him.

The legal action, initiated on April 4, 2025, involves four Nigerian artists  Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru who allege that Davido’s 2024 track Strawberry on Ice was unlawfully derived from their 2022 song Work.

According to court filings, the plaintiffs claim they originally sent the song Work to Davido in early 2022, hoping for a potential collaboration. However, they allege that Davido instead shared the track with Sierra Leonean singer Emmerson (Emmerson Amidu Bockarie), who went on to sample parts of the original song in Strawberry on Ice without their consent.