Singer slammed with BD6,000 fine for refusing to pay lyricist

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A singer who refused to pay for lyrics has been ordered by the High Civil Court to compensate the poet BD6,000.

The story began when the poet, a well-known figure in Bahrain’s music scene, wrote three songs and handed them over to the singer based on a simple verbal agreement: payment would follow. But the money never came.

After the poet’s repeated friendly reminders were met with silence, her lawyer, Aisha Janahi, took the dispute to court.

Janahi revealed that her client had worked with the singer since 2016, with their latest collaboration in 2020. Each song was valued at BD2,000, yet despite numerous requests, the singer kept delaying payment.

Adding fuel to the fire, the poet demanded the court ban any use or broadcast of the songs on all platforms until the matter was settled. The songs had already been performed publicly and aired on TV and radio, both in Bahrain and overseas, without a single fils paid to the creator.

The singer tried to dodge responsibility, claiming there was no proof the lyrics belonged to the poet and that the songs hadn’t been officially registered. The court wasn’t convinced. It ruled this wasn’t about copyright but a straightforward sale of lyrics—something both parties had agreed on.

Witnesses backed up the poet’s case, explaining that in the music business, payment usually comes before a song is performed or delivered. The poet followed this practice with all her clients.

To seal the deal, the court asked the poet to take a sworn oath confirming she had sold the three songs at BD2,000 each—and that she hadn’t received a single dinar.

With that, the court found the singer guilty of failing to meet her obligations and ordered her to pay the full BD6,000 to the poet—justice served for the unpaid creator.