Does your ‘Rolls Royce’ have approval from BMW? — David Osei jabs DJ Azonto over copyright claim against Bawumia

Ghanaian actor and staunch supporter of the NPP, Prince David Osei has weighed in on the copyright claim against Vice President and NPP flagbearer Dr. Bawumia by musician and disk jockey DJ Azonto.

The actor in a post on X on Friday, May 17, asked whether the singer’s management who call themselves Rolls Royce, also have approval from German-based BMW.

If not, then the actor implies DJ Azonto and his management team, who he thinks are also guilty of copyright, have no right to pursue a case on that.

“Before taking any legal action against the DJ/Veep for playing your song, please ensure you have received approval from the German manufacturer regarding the usage of the brand name "Rolls Royce," which belongs to BMW,” he wrote.

Background:
The management of popular Ghanaian singer and disc jockey DJ Azonto has demanded $10 million in compensation from Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia after he used one of the artist's songs in his presidential campaign without permission.

In a statement released on Thursday, May 16, Rolls Royce Family, who manages DJ Azonto, expressed disappointment that Dr. Bawumia used the song "Fa No Fom" at campaign events in the North East region of Ghana without seeking consent.

"This unauthorized use of our artist's property for campaign purposes is unacceptable and a clear infringement of intellectual property rights," said Sammy Anim, Public Relations Officer for Rolls Royce Family.

They added that as the legitimate managers of DJ Azonto's work, they were not approached for permission nor did they sanction the use of "Fa No Fom" for Dr. Bawumia's campaign.

The management is now demanding $10 million in damages, saying "This amount reflects the value of the work and the damages incurred to the artist and management due to its misuse in such a high-profile campaign."

They have called on Dr. Bawumia's campaign team to address the issue and make steps to respect intellectual property rights in the future.

Rolls Royce Family said musicians are always willing to work with politicians but proper channels must be followed.