How Dammy Krane has managed to escape legal issues so far

Dammy Krane is currently the most inevitable phenomenon in Nigerian music.

What started as a spiteful reaction to Davido's album 'Five' has since become a trend of hopping on new releases with the intention of feeding off another artist's marketing efforts and success.

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In his most recent act of feeding off new songs, he released 'Gen Z Leader (Ever Lasting Taker)' and 'Pay Me' (Industry Machine)' on the same day as rappers Blaqbonez and Odumodublvck released their latest tracks of the same title.

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Dammy Krane's modus operandi requires him to sit back and watch as other artists plan their releases so he can pounce on them.

He does this with the hope that the streaming platform's algorithm will favour his song, which will be suggested to listeners searching for the original.

He released his version of Rema's 'Kelebu' and recorded an entire album, which he named and released on the same day as Burna Boy's 'No Sign of Weakness'.

Dammy Krane's notoriety has not gone unnoticed among artists who are now forced to plead with him to kindly spare their release dates and new materials from his scheming.

While on the surface, his actions appear to be a blatant act of copycatting that should be punishable, he's clever enough to escape copyright infringements.

The Nigerian Copyright Act in Section 36 prohibits anyone from “Doing or causing anybody to do any act, which constitutes a violation of the exclusive right conferred on a copyrightable work.” 

A song falls under the category of sound recordings, which enjoy copyright protection under Sections 2 and 12 of the Act.

READ ALSO: Is Mr. P guilty of stealing Rudeboy's song? [Pulse Explainer]

However, the title of a song or album cannot be copyrighted. This is why we have multiple songs with the same title on streaming platforms.

The mere fact that Dammy Krane mischievously chose to release a song with the same title and on the same date as other Afrobeats stars doesn't constitute a copyright breach.

"The title of a song is not protected by copyright. That's why there are hundreds of songs with the same title on digital streaming platforms, " says Olarewaju Bello, an Entertainment Lawyer from Lagos.  

Album titles are also not generally trademarked, except for widely famous projects with strong name recognition.

These loopholes have helped Dammy Krane to shamelessly key into the titles and release dates of other stars while escaping any sort of legal trouble.

So far, Dammy Krane's attempt to reap where he didn't sow hasn't borne much harvest for him, whether in streams or social currency.

Although his schemings have brought him some social media attention, it bothers on amusement on his antics rather than building a following that engages his work.

Brand Strategist and PR Professional Oladimeji Olawale opines that the musician's antics might be attention-grabbing, but it doesn't earn him any respect.

"I don’t think it’s working in any way for him. It’s one thing for people to resonate with your brand, see what you do, and pay attention to your craft; it’s another thing for people to just see what you do as clowning."

On the streaming end, his efforts have yielded paltry numbers as the Burna Boy 'YE' moment he continues to chase keeps evading him.

Marketing professional Roviel Obong thinks that Dammy Krane might be getting clout, but this doesn't translate to the success he craves.

"All his antics are not converting. I don't think anyone knows the songs he's dropping, even if he's getting clout."

At any rate, Dammy Krane appeared to have found a formula that has gotten him some sort of attention. He doesn't seem to care that it's painfully unoriginal and absolutely shameful.

Perhaps, this is how he chooses to express his grudge towards an industry he believes owes him more than he was given.