Music

Confusion Over The song “Wonder God”

Published on February 8, 2015

Popular gospel artiste Sonnie Badu has been accused of copying a song a Nigerian musician. The song in question is the ever popular song “wonder God” released by Sonnie in 2012. According to The public relations officer replied that they didn’t know of the existence of a similar song. He decided to remain silent until the other party had fully made his allegations. The producer of the song also denied knowing it was another person’s song when recording it but found out later on.
Sonnie Badu has won two awards – Gospel Artiste of the Year and Best Male Vocal Performance of the Year – at the 2014 Ghana Music Awards with the song. About two years after its release, Soji Israel is accusing the Ghanaian musician of using his intellectual property without the necessary permission.
The artiste released the song in 1999 and released the album in the year 2000. The songs are very similar in terms of the instrumentation and the chorus. “I never seen this kind love before, wonder wonder…………………..” the song was made very popular in Ghana and beyond by Sonnie Badu because of his international influence. The artiste is not very popular in Ghana and most people didn’t know of the existence of this song.
A legal brain was consulted on the issue and he explained that there is difference in the song so Soji can’t sue Sonnie Badu. He can sue him only if Sonnie had copied it outright. That is lyrics by lyrics and also the rhythm. Since there is an alteration it can’t be pursued. The other option is to sue for moral rights which can’t be pursued because Sonnie Badu hasn’t devalued the song but raised standards. He also educated that a person’s song can’t be copied out rightly throughout his lifetime and when dead it only goes into public domain when the person has died for seventy years. He advised that this case should not be pursued because it won’t hold.