Appeal Court did not order sub-licensing to Metro Digital -MultiChoice Lawyer

Lawyers to pay television giants, MultiChoice Nigeria, have described as incorrect media reports about the Appeal Court judgement on Wednesday.

The trending media reports suggests that the Court of Appeal has ordered the company to sub-license some of its channels to Metro Digital Limited, a cable television service provider based in Port Harcourt.

However in a swift response, MultiChoice lawyers have since dispelled the report as inaccurate.

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

“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,” Pinheiro stated in the disclaimer.

Metro Digital Limited had approached a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt after Multi- Choice 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 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.

ENIGERIA NEWSPAPER