How much money ‘Please Call Me’ inventor wants from Vodacom
Nkosana Makate has told the Sunday Times that he will still be asking for 15 cents of every Rand of revenue that Please Call Me has generated.
This comes after Makate’s recent victory in the Constitutional Court after a long battle, where Vodacom was ordered to negotiate in good faith to determine “reasonable compensation” for his idea.
Makate said he now plans to go through the records of Vodacom and its parent, Vodafone, to work out what they owe him for the idea.
He said that they are “reassessing” their team of negotiators and are strengthening it with actuaries, auditors, and accountants. They are looking at big firms with an “appetite” to help them, said Makate.
According to Makate, the judgement paved the way for him to ask for the records of all Vodafone operations where Please Call Me is used.
Makate said that the service “is everywhere where Vodafone operates, so it’s not only confined to South Africa.”
Once they have all the records — including where and to whom Vodacom licensed the product — they will be able to quantify the 15%, Makate said.
In 2013, the Sunday Times reported that the amount could be as high as R6.75-billion rand.
Makate’s wife, Rebecca, has said that a book about his 15-year battle with Vodacom to get compensation for his idea is in the works, and will be released through a UK publisher before December.
The full report is available in the Sunday Times (1 May 2016).
More on Vodacom Please Call Me
Vodacom’s ‘Please Call Me’ claims are a lie: ConCourt
Vodacom loses Please Call Me legal battle as inventor seeks R6.75 billion
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