Federal High Court slams MTN Nigeria with N840 million fine for copyright infringement

MTN Nigeria has been fined N840 million by the Federal High Court for infringing Citilink Accesscorp’s registered trademark “WEBPLUS.”

[dropcap]T[/dropcap]he Federal High Court in Lagos has handed down a significant N840 million fine to MTN Nigeria Communications Limited for infringing on the registered trademark “WEBPLUS,” owned by Citilink Accesscorp Limited.

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The ruling, delivered by Justice Akintayo Aluko, comes after a lawsuit filed by Citilink, alleging that MTN’s use of “MTN WEBPLUS” and “MTN WEB+” violated its trademark rights.

The case, marked HC/L/CS/1124/2014, saw Citilink accusing MTN of unlawfully mimicking its “WEBPLUS” trademark, which was legally registered in 2001 and renewed in 2014 under Class 9.

Justice Aluko ruled that MTN’s use of the name “MTN WEBPLUS” misled the public and damaged Citilink’s brand.

The court awarded N70 million in yearly damages, covering Citilink’s loss of business and brand dilution from 2014 to 2025, and ordered MTN to pay 15 percent annual interest on the judgment sum until fully settled.

Citilink had initiated the lawsuit on July 17, 2024, claiming that MTN’s usage of the name “MTN WEBPLUS” violated its intellectual property rights.

The company also sought a declaration that Citilink is the sole legal owner of the “WEBPLUS” trademark and requested a permanent injunction preventing MTN from using any variation of the trademark.

MTN Nigeria had contested the suit, arguing that a pending case at the Trademark Tribunal made the lawsuit invalid.

The telecom company also claimed its use of “MTN WEBPLUS” was based on a 2012 application when Citilink’s trademark registration had allegedly lapsed between 2008 and 2014. Furthermore, MTN insisted that its usage was in good faith and did not intend to deceive consumers.

However, Justice Aluko rejected MTN’s defense, ruling in favor of Citilink’s infringement claims. The court also granted a perpetual injunction barring MTN from further use of the disputed “WEBPLUS” trademark.

Despite the ruling, the court denied some of Citilink’s additional requests, including the seizure and destruction of MTN’s servers used to promote the “MTN WEBPLUS” services, as well as a claim for N10 million in special damages due to insufficient evidence.

This decision represents a major development in the ongoing battle over intellectual property rights in Nigeria, particularly in the telecommunications sector.

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MTN Nigeria now faces the financial and reputational consequences of the infringement, as the court continues to uphold the integrity of trademark law in the country.

Quadri Olaitan

Quadri Olaitan is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, public affairs, and human-interest stories.