News
Court adjourns Nigerian’s $150m suit against Google, GoDaddy.com to May 27
Justice Obiora Egwuatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday adjourned the $150 million suit filed by a Nigerian, Chianugo Peter, against Google LLC and GoDaddy.com LLC, over alleged contract breach till May 27 for hearing.
The judge fixed the date for the defence to cross-examine Peter after he was led in evidence virtually by his lawyer, Emmanuel Ekpenyong, in the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/238/2023.
The suit followed the alleged shutdown of Peter’s YouTubeAudio.com domain name after eight years of promotional and marketing efforts.
In his earlier originating summons filed by Ekpenyong of the law firm of Fred-Young & Evans LP, the Nigerian alleged that the defendants shut down his domain and business name and transferred the rights over the name to Google LLC, an American multinational technology company.
The suit was filed on April 14, 2023.
Although GoDaddy.com LLC neither filed any process nor represented in court, Google LLC, in its initial statement of defence filed on November 10, 2023, by its lawyer, Mark Mordi (SAN), of the law firm of Aluko & Oyebode, urged the court to dismiss Peter’s suit for lack of merit.
READ ALSO: Education firm, Chegg sues Google, says search giant AI reviews killing its business
Justice Egwuatu, in April 2024, gave the plaintiff go-ahead to amend his originating processes after his lawyer moved the application for same and it was not opposed by the defence counsel.
In his amended statement of claim dated April 29, 2024, Peter sought 10 reliefs.
He sought a declaration that GoDaddy.com was wrong to shut down the YouTubeAudio.com domain name on December 7, 2022 and that Google was wrong to remove “YTAudio” with its website youtubeaudio.com from its Google PlayStore on December 25, 2023, without adequate compensation to him.
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
SPECIAL REPORT: In Sokoto, classrooms overtaken by goats, reptiles, as insecurity, lack of teachers, govt inaction push children out of school
SHEHU MUHAMMAD SHEHU reports on how insecurity, government inaction and lack of qualified teachers has significantly forced up the number...
INVESTIGATION: Abia residents in pains, as contractor abandons erosion control project after collecting N185m
Fresh from fashion school in 2022, Onuka Kalu planned to convert one of his father’s two shops, where he formerly...
Trump halts $50m Gaza aid, cites ‘condoms in Gaza’ claim
In a sweeping move to reassess U.S. foreign aid spending, President Donald Trump has frozen a $50 million assistance package...
INVESTIGATION: In Zamfara, forgotten Health Center throws community into health crisis
In the late evening of Friday, September 14, 2024, shortly after the Maghrib prayer, Bashir Muhammad, a 34-year-old father of...
INVESTIGATION: Insufficient teachers, learning materials worsen education access in Kwara communities
Qudus, a Junior Secondary School (JSS 2) pupil, would sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE) in a year to...