Suit for damages over Eurosong winner

Former Maltasong chairman Grace Borg has filed a lawsuit against state television claiming damages for breach of her exclusive rights over Eurosong winner Thea Garrett.

The case was filed in the First Hall of the Civil Court by Ms Borg and a co-owner of Exotique Record Label, Andrea Milana, against Public Broadcasting Services as organiser of the Maltasong festival.

They are claiming they had signed a contract for the exclusive management of the artiste, who will represent Malta in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest with her song My Dream.

Ms Borg and Mr Milana argue that action taken by PBS breached their exclusive rights over the singer.

In previous years, before PBS took over the festival's organisation, the Maltasong board would reach an agreement over certain intellectual property rights with the management, the author and the composer of the winning song. This did not happen this year, Ms Borg and Mr Milana said, adding that Ms Garrett's management was asked to concede rights that were theirs alone.

PBS, they said, gave certain rights to third parties, such as to telephone company Go, to use the winning song as a mobile ring tone. A contract was signed with a foreign re-cording label to include the song in an album that would be sold internationally.

Legal Procurator Sharon Mizzi and lawyers Patrick Galea and Paul Cachia signed the writ.