Amid rising concerns over copyright abuse and digital piracy in Nollywood, popular actress and filmmaker Bimbo Ademoye has vowed to pursue legal action after her movie Where Love Lives reportedly lost monetization at over six million views following a controversial copyright claim.
The actress disclosed the development in a strongly worded public statement, revealing that she woke up to discover that monetisation on the film had been taken down across platforms, despite her insistence that all content used in the project was legally cleared.
According to Ademoye, the issue stemmed from a song used in the movie—a track she says she fully owns and obtained with complete approval from the original artist.
She, however, alleged that the song was unlawfully claimed by an individual identified as Emmanuel Davies, who she accused of stealing her intellectual property.
“For clarity, I woke up to monetization on our movie Where Love Lives being taken down,” she stated.
“A song I have full ownership of, a track I fully own with full approval from the artist, was lifted and claimed by one Emmanuel Davies.”
The actress expressed outrage that the claimant not only filed a copyright claim but also took over the monetisation of the film, effectively diverting revenue generated from millions of views. She described the act as both dishonest and damaging.
“Not only did he steal my song, he claimed copyrights and took monetization, which means he’s claiming the money from the movie belongs to him,” Ademoye said, stressing that she runs her productions professionally.
Emphasising her integrity, the actress noted that she conducts due diligence before releasing any project.
“I’m not an irresponsible person. I do not take what doesn’t belong to me. I do all my findings before uploading a movie. I pay for all the soundtracks I use in my movie,” she added.
Bimbo Ademoye admitted she was stunned by the situation, questioning how someone could wake up and claim ownership of another person’s work.
She, however, made it clear that she would not allow the matter slide.
“Why one person would wake up one day, steal my song and claim it to be his own, I don’t know,” she said.
“But this is me saying, Emmanuel Davies, until I see you behind bars, I will not rest.”
The actress further revealed that she has handed the matter over to the authorities, stating that she intends to allow the law take its full course.
She also appealed to the public for information that could aid the investigation.
“I’ll let the authorities do their job,” she said. “If anyone has any vital information on Emmanuel Davies, please send an email.”
In a further twist, Ademoye referenced a similar past incident involving another individual, Anwuli, whom she accused of making a copyright claim on her earlier project “To Be a Friend.”
She disclosed that attempts had been made to settle the current dispute privately.
“Information reaching me has it that you want to settle out of court,” she said pointedly.
“This is me declining that offer. No, I don’t want to settle out of court, darling.”
Declaring that the loss of a movie at six million views was not something she would simply move past, the actress insisted she wants a definitive legal resolution.
“You started it by making me lose a movie at six million views. Now I want to finish it with final words from a judge,” she warned.
Ademoye ended her statement on a defiant note, reassuring creatives that hard work will always prevail.
“Nobody fit chop your sweat. They will only try but fail,” she said, as fans and colleagues continue to rally around her amid the unfolding legal battle.
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