Poet ordered to swear in court over unpaid lyrics

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A poet has been ordered to swear in court that a famous singer owes her BD6,000 for three songs she says were handed over in good faith and never paid for.

The High Civil Court has told her to appear in person on 28 April to take what is known as a supplementary oath, a legal step that may tip the balance.

The court postponed any decision on costs and said the ruling itself serves as notice to both parties.

The poet claims she gave the singer three sets of lyrics, which were later performed and circulated online and at events in Bahrain and abroad.

She says she trusted the singer would pay, given their friendship, but nothing was ever handed over. She is now asking the court to order payment of the BD6,000 and to grant her damages.

Her lawyer asked the court to stop the singer from airing, publishing or performing the disputed songs until a ruling is made.

He argued the singer had made use of the songs on streaming services, radio stations, television programmes and private events without a single dinar going to the writer.

The poet is also seeking compensation for being shut out from using her own lyrics since their release by the singer. She says the songs could not be sold or reused once they were made public.

The court opened an investigation to establish what happened and took evidence from both sides.