Student demands N1bn from Sun Newspaper for illegal use of photograph

By Ufuoma Egbe

A female student of the Delta State Polytechnic, Ozoro, is demanding N1billion from Sun Publishing Limited, publishers of Daily Sun Newspaper for allegedly publishing her photograph in the newspaper’s May 25, 2016 edition on its ‘Sun Girl’ page without her prior permission.

The student, Akinyemi Temitope is demanding N500 million as damages for copyright infringement and illegal publication and another N500 million for invasion of privacy through the publication without her permission.

In a letter addressed to the company through her counsel, Felix, Igelige & Associates, she accused Daily Sun of illegal and criminal publishing her photograph with the name ‘Sadiyat’ and telephone number 09057312447 in the dating ‘Sun Girl’ page, a publication that has caused her embarrassment and emotional trauma in the break-up of her five year old relationship.

According to the letter made available to Vanguard, it states, “Our client is the author and copyright owner of the photograph that your publishing company used on page 3 of the Daily Sun of 25/5/2016 at volume 12 at Number 3413 bearing the name ‘Sadiyat’ with the Telephone No. 09057312447 under the heading Sun Girl.”

Threatening to take legal action against the company if the demands of its client are not met within seven days, her council said: “Our client does not bear such name as ‘Sadiyat’ and she does not use that mobile number.

“The image in that photograph is our client and it was our client that created that photograph which by extension is the copyright owner of that photograph your publishing company used as mentioned above without her permission, consent or authorization.”