Cyberharcèlement: Magali Berdah fait saisir 40 millions d'euros, à titre conservatoire, sur les droits d'auteur de Booba
Stream and punishment for Booba? Businesswoman Magali Berdah, who accuses him of cyber harassment, has had nearly 40 million euros seized by the Paris judicial court as a "precautionary measure" from his copyrights and bank accounts.
Magali Berdah, who now works as a presenter on Sud Radio, accuses Booba of causing significant damage to Shauna Events, an influencer agency she founded. She claims the rapper cyberbullied and threatened the brands she worked with, trying to force them to end their collaborations.
At the request of Ms. Berdah, the Paris judicial court has "provisionally" assessed her claim and that of the companies Shauna Events, Sublime Talent and MB Conseil at 40,588,572 euros, AFP learned Thursday from a source close to the case.
A sum to be seized, in particular, from the rapper's copyrights held with Sacem, Universal Music France, and Deezer.
The money can also be recovered from the Society for the Administration of Mechanical Reproduction Rights of Authors, Composers and Publishers, from Because Music and from streaming platforms "via their French intermediaries or via labels", according to the decision issued Wednesday and which AFP learned of on Thursday.
Also targeted are the bank accounts, vehicles and personal property of the 49-year-old rapper who resides in Miami, Florida.
This precautionary seizure immobilizes the sum, pending the examination of the dispute between the parties.
"Our client was not informed of the existence of this procedure," the rapper's lawyers, Gilles Vercken and Marie Roumiantseva, told AFP on Thursday.
"If this order exists, it is because it was obtained solely on the arguments of Ms. Berdah. As soon as we become aware of it, we will challenge it under the conditions provided by law and we will prosecute the applicants for abusive procedure," they continued.
But for Magali Berdah's lawyer, this decision "marks a turning point." Contacted by AFP, he asserted that it "now opens a legal phase aimed at obtaining full compensation for her damages." "Social media is not a lawless zone," insisted David Smadja.
Ms. Berdah declined to comment.
Booba, whose real name is Elie Yaffa, has been in conflict with her for several years.
This rap icon, a figure since the 1990s, launched a crusade in 2022 against influencers, whom he dubbed "influence thieves," and their business practices, which he portrays as deceptive. His targets include Magali Berdah, whose career as an agent for celebrity influencers has been severely damaged.
In addition to the online accusations, amplified by his large online community, Booba also filed a complaint against Magali Berdah. The criminal investigation opened on suspicion of deceptive business practices was closed without further action in November 2023.
Twenty-eight people have already been convicted for the cyber harassment of Magali Berdah, while the rapper was charged in October 2023 with aggravated harassment of Magali Berdah, including the deterioration of her health, in investigations carried out in Paris.
Before the investigating judge, the suspect, who was under judicial supervision, denied any "intention to harm Magali Berdah in her health or her life", portraying himself as a vigilante seeking to "prove that (Magali Berdah and her relatives) are fraudsters".
Two other people are being prosecuted alongside the "Duke of Boulogne", including Grégory Zaoui, also known to the justice system as one of the main protagonists of the carbon tax fraud.
Magali Berdah is not the only one to accuse Booba.
The practice of clashing with "B2O" has taken on a new dimension online with the support of his "pirates", a large digital community relaying the rapper's posts or trolling the people targeted by Booba.
A Parisian investigating judge charged him in October with online harassment of Demdem, the partner of rapper Gims, another heavyweight in French rap.
He will also be tried in April for discriminatory public insults and aggravated cyber harassment against a France Télévisions journalist and for insulting an essayist.
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