‘Please Call Me’ inventor Nkosana Makate, says he’s pleased with the High Court ruling in Pretoria regarding what telecoms giant, Vodacom, owes him for the invention. The court battle spans two decades, with different figures bandied about, regarding how much Vodacom owes Makate for the text service.
The High Court ruled that Makate is entitled to 5% of the total voice revenue generated from the micro-text service from March 2001 to March 2021.
Vodacom has indicated its intention to appeal the ruling, while Makate says, he’s prepared for the battle.
“I think with this solid judgement of Judge Hughes, it will be quite a mountain to climb for Vodacom. I had made a decision long time ago, when I was told that I’ll never get a cent out of this. My resolve has not changed, I will see this thing to an end. I will make sure that I get what is due, and what is fair. And that I will pursue, until we get to the end of the road and that’s what I’m doing. If they’re appealing, that’s what I need to prepare for and that’s what I will (prepare for).”
Court orders Vodacom to pay ‘Please call me’ inventor 5% revenue:
The High Court in Pretoria has ruled in favour of the ‘Please Call Me’ inventor, instructing Vodacom to now make a fresh determination on how much it owes Makate.
Makate’s legal team says Vodacom owes him more than the R47 million compensation offered by the mobile operator.
In January 2019, about 200 protesters from the Please Call Me Movement marched to Vodacom headquarters demanding R70 billion for Makate.
It’s once again back to the drawing board for Vodacom as its battle with Makate intensifies. The High Court has given the mobile operator one month to recalculate what it owes the inventor.
Makate and Vodacom have been at loggerheads for over 10 years. He wants Vodacom’s offer of R47 million set aside and believes he is owed billions for his ‘Please Call Me’ idea.
The Constitutional Court affirmed Makate was the inventor of ‘Please Call Me’ in 2016.
Vodacom says it will appeal the High Court judgment by Justice Wendy Hughes.
Vodacom says it remains of the view its negotiations with Makate were in good faith, as determined in the order of the Constitutional Court issued on 26th April 2016.
