US court gives Davido 21 days to respond to a copyright lawsuit alleging song theft. Learn about the legal battle and the claims against the singer

Nigerian music sensation Davido has been served a 21-day ultimatum by a US court to respond to a copyright infringement lawsuit, alleging that he stole a song to create his recently released track, “Strawberry on Ice.”

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The District Court in Manhattan has mandated that Davido appear before the court to address the lawsuit, which was filed on April 4.

The legal action was initiated by Martins Chukwuka Emmanuel, Kelvin Ayodele Campbell, David Ovhioghena Umaru, and Abel Great Umaru, who claim that Davido unlawfully sampled their song’s instrumentals.

They allege that they shared the song with Davido in 2022, proposing a collaboration, but instead, he allegedly used their instrumentals without permission.

The lawsuit also implicates Emmerson, a Sierra Leonean singer, who is accused of contributing sampled vocals and instrumentals to Davido’s song.

The plaintiffs assert that Davido had initially agreed to a $45,000 settlement and a 40% royalty split in March 2025, but subsequently failed to honour this agreement.

The plaintiffs further claim that they increased their demand after Davido’s alleged breach of the initial agreement. To date, Davido has not publicly responded to the lawsuit, leaving the allegations unanswered. This Davido copyright lawsuit could have serious implications.

The 21-day ultimatum from the US court now puts pressure on Davido to address these claims, potentially leading to a high-profile legal battle. The outcome of this case could have significant implications for copyright law within the music industry.