ROSEAU, Dominica, CMC – The President of the Dominica Olympic Committee (DOC), Billy Doctrove, has broken his silence to publicly condemn a lawsuit filed against him, his staff, and the organisation by Mark and Ophelia Marie, calling their actions a betrayal of the Dominican people and a direct attack on the nation’s athletes.
The legal battle, which seeks $80,000 Eastern Caribbean dollars in damages for alleged copyright infringement, stems from a video the DOC created and circulated during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The video, intended to inspire Dominican athletes, used a montage of Dominican music, including a version of Ophelia Marie’s classic song, “Ai Dominique.”
According to a passionate and detailed press release from President Doctrove, the DOC’s Press Attaché, Garvin Richards, secured permission for the song from Cornel Phillip, the producer of the 2008 album “Interpretations”, which featured the version used in the video.
Doctrove states that this album was produced with the original blessing of both Mark and Ophelia Marie.
“It all started when we were in Paris,” Doctrove explained. “Garvin was doing exceptional work to motivate our athletes. He used music from various Dominican artists, all of whom happily gave their permission to help promote Dominica on the world stage. For ‘Ai Dominique,’ he reached out to Cornel, as he was using Cornel’s version of the song.”
The celebration was short-lived. Just two days after the video was posted, the DOC received a demand letter from Mark Marie, acting on behalf of Ophelia, requesting $15,000 EC for copyright infringement.
“I called Mark from Paris immediately,” Doctrove recounted. “I explained the situation and, out of an abundance of caution, we withdrew the video. We agreed to meet upon our return to Dominica to resolve this amicably.”
That meeting took place on September 18, 2024, at the DOC headquarters. Doctrove described a seemingly cordial discussion where the DOC explained the misunderstanding, emphasising that the video was a non-commercial project aimed at inspiring the nation.
This was, of course, the same Games where Thea Lafond-Gadson made history by winning Dominica’s first-ever Olympic gold medal, a moment the music helped inspire.
However, Doctrove alleges the meeting took a startling turn. He claims Mark Marie made serious accusations against the producer, Cornel Phillip.
“He said, and I quote, ‘Cornel tief Ophelia song, he tief Ophelia money, and he is a big vollez’,” Doctrove stated. “He then asked us to serve as witnesses against Cornel. We immediately refused. It was clear he had a personal vendetta against Cornel, and I told him plainly not to use the DOC to fight his battle.”
Believing the matter was closed, Doctrove was stunned to receive another letter on Christmas Eve 2024, 15 months after the original incident, demanding $80,000 EC. Weeks later, court documents were served, naming Garvin Richards, Billy Doctrove, and the DOC as defendants.
The President expressed profound hurt and disbelief, given his long-standing personal friendship with Ophelia Marie, whom he considers a Dominican icon and a recipient of the Sisserou Award of Honour.
“I still cannot believe this behaviour comes from people I held in such high esteem,” Doctrove said. “Ophelia and I are very close. She sent me a congratulatory message for my 50th anniversary with the cricket umpires last year. If we had done something wrong, all she had to do was call me. This matter could have been resolved instantly.”
Doctrove framed the lawsuit as an attack not just on the DOC, but on the very athletes the organisation supports. He noted that Gordon Henderson, the “Godfather of Dominican music,” who was present at DOC events in Paris, has personally advised Mark Marie to drop the charges.
“Their actions are shameful and despicable,” Doctrove fumed. “To take such punitive measures against the DOC for using her song to inspire our athletes at the very Games where we won our first GOLD medal is deplorable. I genuinely wonder how they can ever face the Dominican public with any sincerity again.”
The DOC has retained legal counsel and is preparing to defend itself. Doctrove concluded with a stark warning: “If we go to court, there will be other revelations to be made. We tried to keep this matter private, but they are determined to carry out this threat. The public now deserves to know the truth.”
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