Sierra Leonean music icon Emmerson Amidu Bockarie has been named in a copyright infringement lawsuit filed in the United States, alongside Nigerian superstar Davido and others associated with Wynn Records.
The lawsuit, brought by a group of Nigerian artists, alleges that the 2024 hit song Strawberry on Ice, featuring Emmerson and Davido, unlawfully incorporates elements from their 2022 track Work.
According to the plaintiffs—Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Abel Great Umaru, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, and David Ovhioghena Umaru—Davido had received a demo of Work in 2022 as part of a potential collaboration. However, they claim that rather than collaborating, Davido allegedly took elements of the song and worked with Emmerson to create Strawberry on Ice without permission.
The Nigerian artists further allege that Davido had agreed to settle the matter by paying them $45,000 by March 2025 and granting them a share of the song’s royalties. However, they claim Davido failed to fulfill this agreement, prompting them to take legal action.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, seeks $150,000 in damages, as well as the transfer of 40% of the compositional copyright and 20% of the sound recording copyright of Strawberry on Ice to the plaintiffs. A 21-day summons has been issued for the defendants, including Emmerson, Davido, and Wynn Records.
The plaintiffs are also asking the court to prohibit the defendants from further infringing on their intellectual property or engaging in actions that could violate their copyrights in the future.
Neither Emmerson nor his representatives have publicly commented on the lawsuit. The case continues to unfold as the legal proceedings progress in New York.
