Popular Ghanaian musician, Tic Tac, has sued one of the largest retail shops in Ghana, Melcom, demanding a whopping GH¢500,000 in damages for breach of contract.
According to the hiplife musician, although a two-year brand ambassadorial contract he signed with Melcom expired five years ago, the company is still using his image on some of its billboards across the country.
Per court documents filed on Thursday, July 28, the artiste claims he lost a similar promotional contract due to Melcom’s failure to remove his images on the said billboards after the expiration of the contract in 2011.
The ‘Philomena’ hitmaker and Melcom entered into a promotional contract on May 22, 2019, where the latter was permitted to use the images, voice and personal appearance of the musician for advertising and promotional purposes for two years.
Per the said contract, the artiste was barred from allowing Melcom’s competitors to use his image and voice on any advertisement or even appear on their shows. The said contract ended on May 31, 2011 and Melcom had a grace period of six months to have removed all adverts and promotional billboards which featured the musician.
But, the musician claims in his documents filed at the Accra High Court that Melcom still has some billboards mounted at Tema roundabout, Tema main harbour road, Agba Maame at Tema Community III, among other areas, in the country.
The artiste, according to documents, “Sighted his images on the defendant’s (Melcom) billboard on May 24, 2016 and took snapshots, recorded same at the locations indicated.”
He consequently caused his counsel, Gary Nimako, to write to Melcom to notify them to remove the said images, and also compensate the artiste for the continuous use of his images on the said billboards.
According to the artiste, Melcom in its response, admitted “it had totally escaped their attention”, but they refused to pay any compensation; something that triggered the instant suit.
Aside the damages, a declaration that the continuous use of his images on Melcom’s billboard in the absence of a valid contract violates the express terms of the contract executed on May 21, 2009.
He is also praying the court for an order directed at Melcom to remove his images from any of their billboards across the country forthwith.
-Ghanaweb.com