High Court Orders Substituted Service on Medikal in Copyright Infringement Case

An Accra High Court has granted a request for substituted service to be served on Ghanaian rapper Medikal after several failed attempts to deliver court summons in person.

The hip-life artiste is being sued by renowned gospel group Alabaster Box for alleged copyright infringement involving his track “Welcome to Africa”.

The lawsuit, filed by Alabaster Box, seeks GHS 15 million (approximately $1.25 million) in damages. The group claims Medikal unlawfully sampled their iconic song “Akwaaba”, using the first ten seconds of the track without permission. They argue that this portion of Medikal’s song constitutes a derivative work of their copyrighted material.

Due to Medikal’s unavailability for personal service, the court—per an order dated June 12, 2025—has authorised substituted service through the following means:

• Pasting copies of the Writ of Summons and Statement of Claim on the High Court notice board at the Law Court Complex in Accra.
• Delivering copies via Medikal’s verified social media accounts: Facebook (Medikal), Instagram (amgmedikal), and X/Twitter (Medikalbyk).
• Serving documents through the WhatsApp number of Medikal’s manager, Kofi Jam.

Alabaster Box, a group with over three decades of performance history and international recognition—including a performance at Westminster Abbey for the late Queen Elizabeth—emphasised that they hold exclusive copyright to “Akwaaba” in both Ghana and the United Kingdom.

The group expressed concern that “Welcome to Africa” features vulgar and profane content, which they say is damaging to their brand and public image.

In the suit, Alabaster Box is seeking:

• $833,000 (GHS 10 million) in direct damages for copyright infringement.
• $417,000 (GHS 5 million) in exemplary damages for intentional misconduct and reputational harm.
• A full accounting of revenues Medikal has earned from the song.
• A court order to withdraw the track from all digital platforms.

Medikal has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit, and no official statement has been made by his management at the time of this report.

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