Ghanaian music icon Michael Owusu Addo (commonly known as Sarkodie) has filed a lawsuit against Ecobank Ghana Limited in the commercial department of the Accra High Court.
The legal action stems from the bank’s use of individuals very similar to rappers in recent advertising campaigns without the consent of Sarkodie. According to the artist, this constitutes an infringement of his intellectual property rights and personal brand.
Legal documents shared on social media show that Sarcodi claims unauthorized use of his image has caused reputational harm and economic damage. In his lawsuit, he is seeking general damages, a permanent injunction to prevent further use of his similarity and to remove all related media from digital and print media.
The controversial campaign, titled #itsgivingscam, features Sarkodie’s appearance, reportedly affiliated with the First Bank Ghana as a creative idea. The casting decision has sparked strong opposition from social media, with many users criticizing the bank for choosing to use Doppelgänger instead of working with artist King Promise, who has worked with Ecobank.
