Day: July 5, 2021

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Huya-owned Nimo TV Wins Arbitration Award against Moroccan Livestreamer’s Contractual Breach

GUANGZHOU, China, July 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Nimo TV, HUYA Inc.’s (“Huya”, NYSE: HUYA) international live streaming platform, recently initiated an emergency arbitrator (EA) procedure at the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC) against a Moroccan streamer for breaching an Exclusive Cooperation Agreement with Nimo TV. As a result, an interim injunction has been issued to the streamer by the SIAC. By taking swift legal action, Huya has demonstrated that the Chinese Internet company is determined and capable of defending its interests when going global.

The injunction by the SIAC directs that the Moroccan streamer is restrained from carrying out live streaming on platforms, websites, and applications that are not operated by Nimo TV. Additionally, the streamer is prevented from participating in any commercial or promotional activities by any competing platform, including Nonolive, Douyu’s overseas live streaming branch, and the alternative platform that the streamer threatened to switch to. The streamer is also responsible for tens of thousands of dollars of fees, which include the EA fees and Nimo TV’s legal fees.

The international live streaming industry often faces issues when streamers breach contracts by switching platforms. As transnational legal procedures are typically complicated, costly and difficult to execute, many international streamers take advantage of such situations and view their Exclusive Cooperation Agreements as non-binding. Once streamers are offered a higher price, they’ll risk breaching the contracts without worrying about the legal consequences. Contrary to this belief, live streaming platforms, including Nimo TV, highly value the commercial potential of streamers and view them as important partners in content production. In that regard, when going global, it’s crucial for live streaming platforms to ensure that streamers of different nationalities honor their obligations and do not breach contracts.

The EA procedure initiated at the SIAC represents an important milestone for Nimo TV. It only took 14 days from filing the relevant documents to receiving the interim order, which may deter future streamers from breaching their agreements. In addition, the injunction against the Moroccan streamer is likely the first case from the live streaming industry that the SIAC has processed and could provide insights for international live streaming platforms when dealing with the breach of contracts. Nimo TV is now seeking recognition and enforcement of the arbitration decision in the court of Morocco, the streamer’s home country, to secure its interests by legal means.

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140 Students Abducted in Northwestern Nigeria?

Armed kidnappers have taken 140 students from their boarding school in northwestern Nigeria, local officials announced Monday.

Attackers opened fire on the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna state early Monday, abducting most of the 165 pupils boarding there overnight.

Teachers at the school told reporters they don’t know where the students were taken.

Police in Kaduna state said they have rescued 26 people, including one teacher.

Monday’s abduction is one of many recent kidnappings, usually for ransom, that have hit schools in northern Nigeria.

Late last month, gunmen attacked a school in the northwest state of Kebbi, abducting at least 80 students and teachers.

Amnesty International reports about 600 schools in northern Nigeria have closed as a result of persistent attacks since late last year.

Earlier this year, the government promised more security deployment to schools. But teachers and activists in the country say their schools remain poorly protected.

Nigerian authorities have faced increased criticism over the kidnappings, one of the country’s many security challenges including the Boko Haram insurgency in the northeast, and a growing separatist movement in the southeast.

Source: Voice of America

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Gunmen Kidnap Staff and Baby from Northwest Nigerian Hospital

Gunmen kidnapped up to eight people, including the one-year-old child of a nurse, from a hospital’s staff residential quarters in northwest Nigeria, while assailants simultaneously attacked a nearby police station, police and hospital officials said.

Kaduna state has been hit by a wave of kidnappings for ransom by armed men. Zaria, where the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre hospital is located, has been particularly hard hit, and the attack was the third on the hospital.

The attack in the early morning hours of Sunday lasted for roughly an hour, hospital spokesperson Maryam Abdulrazaq told Reuters.

She said six people had been abducted: two nurses, one with her one-year-old child, a laboratory technician, a security guard and one other staff member. Police gave the number of hostages as eight.

“So far, [there was] no ransom demand,” Abdulrazaq said. “We have not heard from the bandits since they took them away.”

In a separate statement, Kaduna police spokesman Muhammed Jalige said that a “large number” of armed men from the same group attacked the divisional police headquarters at roughly the same time “in an attempt to overrun the officers on duty.”

Jalige said police repelled the attack after a heavy exchange of gunfire, injuring some of the attackers. Police recovered dozens of shell casings from rifles and machine guns.

He said officers from tactical, anti-kidnapping and other units were working to rescue those kidnapped from the hospital.

Kidnappings for ransom have become endemic in northern Nigeria. More than 800 students have been abducted since December, at least 150 of whom remain missing.

Source: Voice of America