Sol Generation Records Ltd has strongly denied claims made by nominated senator Crystal Asige, accusing the label of violating her intellectual property rights in a Sh 5 million legal case.
In a detailed defense, the label, represented by lawyer Conrad Maloba, rejected all the allegations Asige raised against it.
Asige, who is also an artist, filed a lawsuit against Sol Generation, alleging that the label exploited her disability for branding purposes and mishandled her royalties, which she claims were owed to her from several hit songs.
The case centers on Asige’s contributions to songs such as “Extravaganza” and “1919 to Forever,” as well as her solo song “Lenga.”
During the trial, Asige conceded that under her contract, Sol Generation holds 100% of the master rights to the music she contributed to.
However, she argued that because she had not signed the necessary agreements, Sauti Sol should not have been collecting royalties on her behalf.
Despite her claims, Asige was unable to present any evidence to support her contention that royalties were collected without her consent.
In cross-examination, Maloba pointed out that Asige had failed to show any documentary proof that the label had wrongfully collected royalties for the songs in question.
Asige’s inability to produce such evidence led the defendant’s legal team to request that the trial judge, Njoki Mwangi, dismiss the case, arguing that her claims lacked merit.
Asige’s accusations extend to her involvement in the production of “Extravaganza,” a track from Sauti Sol’s Midnight Train album.
She alleges that her lyrics and melody were used in the song without proper consent.
While she was credited as a co-writer, Asige claims that there were no formal discussions or agreements made, and she did not receive royalties for her contributions.
Asige explained that she had composed the third line of the song during a recording session at Snow-Ball Studio in Nyari Estate, Nairobi, but claimed that her creative work was later used without fair compensation.
In addition to “Extravaganza,” Asige highlighted her contribution to the song “1919 to Forever,” recorded as part of a special birthday project.
Asige states that the track was released on Sol Generation’s platforms without her prior knowledge of any contractual agreements.
She further alleges that a Sh 5 million deal was negotiated on her behalf, but she never saw any of the money.
Asige also raised concerns about her solo song “Lenga,” which gained attention on social media. She claims that Sol Generation uploaded the track to its platforms without compensating her.
Although she acknowledged that the label had offered her development training in exchange for her copyrights, she described the terms as unclear and not in line with industry standards.
Furthermore, Asige accused the label of exploiting her disability for marketing purposes. In court, she presented her disability certificate as evidence, claiming that the label used her condition to attract public sympathy and funds.
According to Asige, when she raised concerns about her treatment and lack of payment, she was dismissed with comments calling her the “weakest singer” in the team and told that the label was too financially strained to pay her royalties.
Asige has asked the court to compel Sol Generation to settle her dues, arguing that her creative work deserves recognition and compensation.
She emphasized that this case is not just about her, but about protecting the rights of other artists who may face similar exploitation and challenges in the industry.
